Aye, Aye, Captain
by MoonlitSky321
Summary: AU. Annabeth Chase wasn't aware that her life was about to change completely after a day she spent on the beach at the age of nine. Now, at the age of nineteen, she is plunged into an adventure that'll show her just how much her life has really changed.
1. Prologue

_**Note: **Hiya, guys! It's summer vacation! Yay! :D Me is soo happy! So anyway, this story popped up to me and I just had to write it! It's loosely based on the Pirates of the Caribbean, but only loosely, I promise! ;) So, I brought you the Prologue and Chapter 1, I hope you enjoy it._

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Percy Jackson, sadly! :(_

_On with the story... :D_

-.-

_**Prologue**_

The breeze was salty and, oddly enough for her young lungs, refreshing.

She wasn't exactly fond of the deep, depthless water, but her young, nine-years-old mind, couldn't help but appreciate its beauty—the small ripple on the surface from the breeze, the crashing of the playful waves between her small toes, the infinity of it, and the bright, orange orb setting behind the horizon and creating the most beautiful, orange-yellowish carpet right in the middle of the blue.

It was a sight to behold.

Her small feet carried her along the shore, the waves slapping against her ankles every now and then, allowing the newly-wet sand to cling to the soles of her feet. The young girl did not mind in the least. She giggled when they did, and breathed the salty air.

Her blonde curls swayed around her face and she looked around her for shells and starfishes. She found one shell and, delighted, bent down to take it. It was hollowed, and the little girl brought it up to her ear, and pressed it there for a few seconds.

She could hear the ocean, just as loudly as the ocean in front of her. Or was it that she was simply hearing the ocean in front of her?

She frowned, and placed the shell in her small bag that she carried across her shoulder, promising herself that once she got home, she'll try again. And then, she continued her journey.

There were a few scattered rocks around the shore, but that wasn't any surprise. They were always there when she came, but this time, something was different. The rocks seemed to…glitter?

Fascinated and with wide eyes, the young girl got down on her knees and began looking through the rocks. They _were_ glittering! She thought they looked like diamonds. However, she knew that they could be just quartz. She had read about quartz usually found along beaches, but did they always sparkle brightly? They were so beautiful.

_Maybe it's just the setting sun_, she thought to herself, smiling. _Nature is sure a strange force._

She collected some of the quartz on her palm, making sure to select the gray and the yellow ones. They were the ones shining brighter than the rest. She reached for the last one—it was a yellow stone, bigger than the rest, and shining brilliantly. However, it wouldn't budge.

The young girl frowned, and using her hands, started digging around the rock, in hopes that it would move a bit if the sand around it was removed. But then, something odd happened. The more sand she removed, the smaller the rock seemed to get and its luster and shine seemed to reduce. Fascinated and curious, the girl kept on digging until she hit the land.

Her gray eyes widened.

It wasn't a rock, it wasn't yellow, and it wasn't big. It seemed to be an amulet—small, circular, and connected to a silver chain. Curious, the girl reached out and her fingertips landed on top of the circular medal. It pulsed under her fingers, and she shivered.

_It's almost time, my daughter,_ the wind whispered, and the girl stood up, shocked. _It's almost time…_

The nine-years-old looked down at the amulet, eyes as wide as saucers. Her precocious mind told her to stay away—this thing was dangerous. However, she felt an unexplainable force pushing her to take the amulet. To keep it safe. It wasn't supposed to be here. It wasn't supposed to stay here, when anyone can come and take it. But why could _she_ take it? Didn't the rule apply to her as well?

Her hand reached out and took it, feeling its smooth surface. She turned it, and was surprised by its back. It had the design of a sun with its rays flickering in every direction. In the middle of the orb, a simple word was engraved: _ελπίς._

Somehow, the young girl understood the word.

_Hope_

It was written in Ancient Greek.

The young girl ran her fingertip across the word, frowning ever so gently. She'll have to research it once she gets back to her house, but for now—

"Annabeth!"

Hastily, the girl slipped the silver chain around her neck and tucked the amulet under her dress. It pulsed, and she shivered once more. She looked over to the horizon, and saw that the sun was almost completely gone. The ocean looked as calm as ever, but with the amulet now around her neck, pulsing against her skin, she wasn't sure…

"Annabeth, there you are!" a shrill voice echoed down the shore and the young girl, Annabeth, looked up.

Her nanny was here. She was an old woman, in her fifties, with thinning gray hair and wide eyes that always looked that they were about to pop out of their sockets. She reached out and took Annabeth's wrist.

"Your father is worried sick about you, young lady," her nanny scolded, her eyes flickering along both sides of the beach. "Don't you know that your father has a lot of enemies? They could be anywhere."

"I can take care of myself, nanny," Annabeth mumbled, but allowed the old woman to lead her back towards the black limo.

As her nanny continued rant nervously, Annabeth looked back out towards the infinite blue ocean as it touched the twilight painted horizon, and could almost hear the voice in the wind again…

_It's almost time, my daughter…_

_It's almost time…_

__-.-

_**Note: **So? x_x_


	2. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Percy Jackson, sadly! :(_

-.-_  
_

_**Chapter 1**_

The curtains were drawn back sharply, and the sun mercilessly hit her straight in the face.

"Wakie, wakie, Annie." A voice giggled.

Annabeth groaned loudly, turning away from the sun and burying her face against the soft, velvet pillows. "Go away." She mumbled unintelligently.

The person on the other side of the bed sighed. "Grumpy today, aren't we?"

"Not enough sleep, Katie. Now, go away!"

Katie Gardner frowned. "Why is that?" she took hold of the covers and yanked them away from the sleeping girl. Annabeth yelped, and tried desperately to hang on to them but Katie was already folding them across her arm.

She grinned wickedly. "It's almost noon, Annabeth. Your father won't like it if you are late for lunch."

Annabeth sighed and flipped on her back, staring at the ceiling of her elegant room. "Of course."

"I'll be back in a few," Katie sang as she got out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Annabeth Chase got up and made her way to her private bathroom for her morning routine. As she showered, she thought about her father. She wasn't dumb, that was for sure, considering her mother, but she wished her father would stop pressuring her about something she wasn't ready to commit. She was just nineteen for Zeus' sake.

However, she was glad that she had Katie Gardner as her right-hand. With her father being the governor of the kingdom, Annabeth did not have many friends that wished to know her for being her. They wanted to be her friends to go to social parties and gatherings. And Annabeth couldn't tolerate it.

Katie was the only one who didn't care about such frivolous things. Although she hasn't been with Annabeth for long, Annabeth had never felt comfortable enough with anyone except Katie. She was her best friend in the whole world, even if she just knew her for half a year. Katie was straight-forward and Annabeth liked that.

Once she brushed her teeth and got out of the bathroom, she found that Katie has already laid down her dress for her along with her shoes. The dress was white and its design was simple—it flowed straight towards her knees. Her shoes were flat ballerinas with a silver stripe on the front. Annabeth quickly dressed and sighed, looking at herself in the mirror.

"Knock, knock. Are you decent?" Katie asked, stepping into the room and closing the door.

Annabeth snorted. "You saw me in less. Why would it matter?"

Katie shrugged. "Habits, I guess. Want me to do your hair?"

"No, it's okay." Annabeth answered, taking hold of her brush. Five minutes later, she had her hair in a flowing ponytail and was ready to go down and meet her parents.

"Katie," Annabeth said, sighing. "Stay close."

"You know the saying: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." Katie said cheerfully, tidying up the room quickly.

Annabeth cracked a smile. What would she do without this girl?

She headed out of the room, along the hallway, and down the curved stairs. She never understood why they should have a big mansion. Of course, she knew her father was the governor and all, but they didn't have to own the biggest house in the kingdom. By the time she reached the dining hall, her feet were already throbbing.

_One day, I'll get out,_ she thought. _One day, I'll be able to get away, and no one can tell me what to do and what not to do, then._

"Ah, Annabeth," her father, Fredrick Chase, greeted as she entered through the doors, smiling. "You are just in time. Your mother and I were just discussing something of great importance."

Helen, her step-mother, looked at her sympathetically. Annabeth knew what was coming. "Yes, Father?" she asked, sitting down to her father's right.

"Annabeth, as you know, the Castellan family—they are people of very high society—have proposed an agreement with us to manage the ports for exporting goods from other kingdoms so that our government would benefit from them."

"That's great news, Father," Annabeth said, delicately, biting into her chicken.

"Yes, it is," her father smiled hugely. "And to celebrate our union, we are going to be holding a ball tonight. So be ready."

Annabeth paused, looking at her father inquiringly. "A ball?"

"Yes." Helen interfered, smiling at her step-daughter. "A dance. Many people have been invited, dear. And May Castellan and her son will be there to enjoy the night with us."

Her step-daughter smiled tightly. "Of course."

"He's a very dashing young man, May's son is," her father said, lightly. "I met him once when I traveled to their kingdom. A very fine young man."

"I am sure he is, dear," Helen said.

Annabeth continued eating her chicken. She glanced at the door, but Katie was nowhere in sight.

-.-

"I can't believe you, Katie," Annabeth exclaimed, looking at the dress laid down in front of her.

It was a very beautiful dress, she had to admit. It was light blue, with a lace layer around the skirt that glittered under the light and its back was exposed. Katie had even picked up her shoes: blue high-heels that matched the dress. Thankfully, Annabeth could see that they weren't _that_ high. They weren't like some of the heels her step-mother wore. She had always wondered how her step-mother _walked_ in them. They looked painful.

Katie grinned. "Believe it, Annie."

"_Don't_ call me Annie!" Annabeth scowled. "And I am not wearing it! Don't you see that I am trying _not_ to attract attention?"

Katie shrugged. "Annabeth, you attract attention whether you want to or not. You always have. So even _if_ you go to the ball with a simple rag cloth, you'll still attract attention from them all. Now, I am stepping outside until you finish so that I can do your hair, okay?"

And with that, Katie Gardner stepped out of the room.

Annabeth sighed, and having no choice, got into the dress in front of her. She had to admit: She did look beautiful, even if her back was a bit too exposed for her liking. She slipped on the heels and tried to balance herself as much as possible. She walked over to her vanity and sat down. Her hands ghosted around for her owl earrings when she paused across a small box sitting behind two others.

Annabeth hesitated, but then, she reached out and opened the box.

The amulet sat there, glinting under the light of her room. She reached out and took it from the box. It pulsed in her hand, and yet again, Annabeth shivered. She hadn't taken out this amulet since she had found it on the beach 10 years ago. But now, tracing the Greek word in the center of the engraved sun, she felt the urge to wear it.

_Hope_

Maybe the amulet will give her some hope. Maybe the night won't be so bad. Maybe she'll get out with it without being pressured by her father. Maybe…

_Maybe…_

She slipped the amulet around her neck, and it pulsed against her skin yet again. Annabeth tucked it under her dress, and looked at herself in the mirror, still stroking the circular medal from above the cloth.

_Please, please let this night go smoothly,_ she begged silently. _Please…_

Her curtains swayed with the wind.

The door opened and Katie Gardener entered. "Ready?"

Annabeth sighed, placing her earrings through the holes. "As I'll ever be."

-.-

On her way down to the ballroom, where she could hear the laughter and music drifting in the air, Annabeth encountered two gentlemen of eight years old, looking at her with expectant looks.

She smiled. "Sorry, brothers. You aren't allowed down there."

Bobby and Matt Chase whined.

"But that's unfair!"

"You are going!"

Annabeth laughed, kneeling down to their level. "I should be there." She made a face. "Father wants me to be."

"And he doesn't want us?" the twins asked in unison, pouting. "We can be very helpful."

Annabeth chuckled, ruffling their hairs. "I know. But you have to go to bed. I'll talk to you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay." Matt sighed, trudging back towards his room. Bobby lingered, and touched one of the few curled strands that slipped away from the bun on Annabeth's head.

"You look pretty, sissy," he said, smiling bashfully. He kissed her cheek quickly. "Good night."

"Good night," Annabeth whispered, watching her brother entering his room.

She stood up, brushed the strand of hair out of her eyes and continued down to the ballroom. As expected, it was crowded and filled with music, conversations, and laughter. Annabeth maneuvered through the crowds, politely stopping to talk with a couple of familiar faces before moving on. She tried to blaster a happy smile on her face and welcome everyone who talked to her.

At last, she reached her father and step-mother, who stood with another woman and a young man. Annabeth took a deep breath, brushed her hand against the hidden amulet, and walked forward, smiling lightly as her father turned to her, beaming.

"Ah, Annabeth, here you are, darling," he said, taking her hand. She stood beside him. "Dear, I would like you to meet Ms. May Castellan and her son, Mr. Luke Castellan."

"Pleasure," Annabeth smiled, shaking hands with May Castellan.

"The pleasure is all mine," Luke Castellan replied, taking her hand, and kissing the back of it.

Against her will, Annabeth felt a blush creep up her cheeks. Luke Castellan was handsome, she couldn't deny, with his brilliant blue eyes and his sandy hair. He had a long scar on his cheek that ended on the corner of his lips. He wore handsome suit for the occasion that defined his board shoulders and lean torso.

She was unaware of her father's grin. Just as she retrieved her hand, the music changed and the lights dimmed.

Luke smiled. "Would you allow me this dance, Ms. Chase?"

She wanted to give an excuse, but the look on her father's face told her not to do anything foolish. And Annabeth Chase wasn't foolish by any means.

Annabeth placed her hand on Luke's extended one. "I have to warn you, though, Mr. Castellan, I am not a very good dancer."

Luke chuckled. "It's all about your partner."

Annabeth mentally cursed. Luke Castellan led her around the ballroom elegantly, as she tried to maintain her balance. He talked about the business between their kingdoms, and how they could improve it. Annabeth was surprised that he was older than her by 5 years. She did not expect this. He asked her about her life and she replied that her life was bearable, even if it was lacking some excitement.

He looked at her quizzically. "And what sort of excitement do you wish to happen, Ms. Chase?"

She shrugged. "Anything that will make life more interesting."

Luke seemed to contemplate her reply. "Like sailing the oceans?"

Annabeth looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "I am not very fond of the ocean, Mr. Castellan. So I don't think that would be a good idea."

He grinned, and the scar on his cheek made him look intimidating. "Then you should stay here on land, Ms. Chase. You are right. The oceans are brimmed with dangerous creatures."

Annabeth blinked, wondering what exactly did he mean by that. Against her skin, the amulet pulsed insistently and Annabeth felt like she couldn't breathe. She had to step away from him.

Luckily for her, the music ended. She hastily thanked him, and pushed her way through the crowds and towards where Katie was standing at the back of the room, scowling at Luke Castellan like he was the devil himself.

"Handsome as the devil, isn't he?" Katie muttered, handing her friend the cup of punch she was holding.

Annabeth laughed. "You mean Luke Castellan? Yeah, he is."

Katie looked at her warily. "And…?"

"Don't worry, Kat," Annabeth smiled, gray eyes mischievous and twinkling. "He isn't my preference at all."

Katie scowled. "Don't call me Kat."

Annabeth laughed. Katie looked at her, smiling, before she noticed the silver chain around her friend's neck. "Annabeth Chase, are you wearing jewelry?"

The blonde-haired girl paused, looking down at the chain that was connected with her amulet. "No." she took the amulet from her dress. "It's something I found when I was nine. At the beach."

Katie's eyes widened when she saw the amulet. Her hand reached out and took it into her palm, running her finger across the word.

"Hope," she whispered, eyes glistening. She looked up at Annabeth. "Hope has finally been found."

Annabeth stared at her, shocked. "What are you talking—?"

But the words were lost in the screams that filled the ballroom when the lights went out abruptly. The whole room was plunged by darkness but Annabeth could feel Katie's hand on her wrist.

"Katie, what's—?"

"Our apologies, ladies and gentlemen," a voice, deep and firm, echoed around the room. "But we couldn't resist crashing the party knowing what treasures are laying around here."

"No worries. We'll just take what we need and be on our way." Another voice, slightly less deeper than the first, said.

Annabeth heard the pounding of the security guards before she saw the twinkling flashlights that came around the corner. But they weren't necessary. Just as they burst into the room, the lights flicked back on, and Annabeth suppressed her gasp.

They weren't a lot of them—they were barely a dozen men, all dressed in baggy black pants, boots, and white shirts with bandanas and bracelets around their wrists—but they all had swords drawn and guns pointing at civilians. Two of them—she guessed they were the ones who spoke—stood at the middle of the room, swords drawn.

One was about her age with cropped blond hair, blue eyes, and a small scar at the corner of his lips. The other was a bit shorter with messy black hair, olive skin, and black eyes. They both wore baggy pants, boots, and shirts. However, the black-haired guy was all in black with a skull belt around his waist and a skull ring on his finger.

His sword was black as well, and Annabeth guessed that it was made of iron. It looked deadly.

The blond-haired guy had a white shirt on like the other men, but he wore a long, purple jacket over it with a bandana wrapped around his wrist and a ring on his forefinger. His sword, however, was pure gold, glinting in the light.

Katie's hand tightened around Annabeth's wrist.

"Pirates!" one of the guests screamed hysterically.

The dozen or so men groaned loudly, cursing and mumbling between themselves furiously.

The black-haired guy sighed, annoyed. "We are _not_ pirates!" he snapped. "We are simply civilized sailors!"

"_Civilized sailors_?" Fredrick Chase demanded, furious. "You get into my party, uninvited, threaten my family and guests, and you call yourselves _civilized sailors_?"

"Old man," the blonde one said, soothingly. "No one will get hurt. Just give us the treasure, and we'll be off."

"And what treasure are you talking about?" Luke Castellan said, stepping into the middle with the two guys boldly.

They both scowled.

"Castellan," the black-haired guy readied his sword. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I am but simply a guest, my friend," Luke spread his arms, grinning. Again, Annabeth felt the need to get away as far as she could from him.

The blonde-haired guy sighed impatiently. "Just what we needed."

"Well," the black-haired guy said. "Our captain gives you his regards then, Castellan. And tells you, he hasn't forgotten your act three years ago."

Luke's eyes turned cold. "And neither have I."

The two guys smirked.

"Guards, what are you waiting for?" Fredrick shouted, getting more furious by the second. "Arrest them!"

And all Hades broke loose.

Annabeth could hear civilians screaming and rushing to get out of the line of fire. Guards crashed down towards the men, but they were fast and light on their feet and fought back readily. She could see her father and step-mother looking for her, but Katie was pulling her out of the room.

"We need to go, Annabeth," she said, urgently. "Please, we need to go!"

"But Father—"

"He'll be fine. They won't hurt anyone, trust me!" Katie urged, leading Annabeth towards the main gate. "But we need to get out of here before he captures you."

"Who—?"

The exploding sounds of gunfire being exchanged shook Annabeth to the bone. The amulet against her skin pulsed rapidly. And then, she paused, eyes wide. "Matt! Bobby!"

With surprising strength, she was able to pull her wrist out of Katie's hold and run back towards the curved staircase, ignoring Katie's shouts and protests for her to stop. The ADHD part of her mind began noticing small things. Like how the heels were killing her. How the intruders were simply playing defense. How the stairs felt like they could go on forever and she'll never get to her step-brothers and—

She paused, took a deep breath, and took off her heels. It was not the time for her ADHD to act up. She needed to get to Matt and Bobby.

Before long, she was in front of their rooms, pulling them out of their beds, and hauling them down the stairs with her.

"Whatever you do, do not let go of my hands, alright?" she warned the two scared kids as they nodded frantically.

Just for a moment, Annabeth flashed back to 10 years ago and the words her nanny had spoken to her: _"Don't you know that your father has a lot of enemies? They could be anywhere!"_

_But why would father have enemies that are pirates?_ Annabeth wondered.

They reached the main gate, and just as Annabeth was about to step out of it with her brothers, the sound of gunfire scared the twins into panic. Annabeth gathered them close, looking back to find Luke Castellan holding a gun and pointing it at her.

Her eyes widened.

"I am terribly sorry, Ms. Chase," he said, his eyes cold. "But I can't let you get out of this house."

"Mr. Castellan, what is the meaning—?"

"All will be explained," he reassured her gently, as if he wasn't threatening her with the gun at all. "Once we reach the shore and begin with the sacrifice."

"What sacrifice?" Annabeth asked, growing angrier by the second. "What are you talking about?"

Matt and Bobby clang to her blue dress, tears streaming down their cheeks.

Luke took a step forward, but the messy black-haired guy and the cropped blonde-haired guy appeared out of nowhere—the blonde standing between her and Luke, and the black-haired one right on Luke's side, the tip of his black sword touching the side of Luke's neck.

"Another step, Castellan," he hissed, "and I won't hesitate to drive my Stygian into that neck of yours."

"Big words, di Angelo," Luke smirked.

"Jason," di Angelo yelled. "Get her out of here."

The blonde—Jason—turned towards Annabeth and her brothers. "Ms. Chase, please follow me."

"Annabeth," her brothers whimpered. She glanced back towards the open gate. She could see her father and step-mother watching them. She bent down to her brothers' level.

"Run to mom and dad," she whispered.

Matt's eyes grew wide. "What about you?"

"I'll—I'll catch up," she said, smiling small at them. "Go!"

The two hesitated but then dashed towards their parents. Annabeth stood up, and looked at the three guys in front of her. Luke's eyes were locked on her frame. The amulet around her neck pulsed.

"Jason!" di Angelo yelled. "Now."

"Ms. Chase—"

"What does he mean?" she asked, looking at Jason. "What does he mean by a sacrifice?"

Jason's jaw clenched. "It's not going to happen, Ms. Chase, if you would just follow me. We'll keep you safe."

"Oh, where are you going to keep her safe, exactly, Grace?" Luke taunted, grinning. "The ocean? I have got some news for you: she isn't _fond_ of the ocean. Your captain would be delighted to hear _that_."

The tip of the sword dug into his neck a bit more. "I would rather rot in Tartarus before I leave her here on land with you, Castellan."

"Let me help you with that," Luke offered.

In a move that Annabeth never saw, Luke had drawn his sword and knocked the tip of di Angelo's sword away from his neck. And the two began a heavy sword combat. Jason grabbed her by the arm gently.

"Please, we need to move."

Annabeth still did not understand anything from what's happening, but she allowed Jason to lead her around the two fighting figures. Luke saw them running towards the back exit, and fired his gun. Annabeth was dragged to the floor by Jason before the bullet had the chance to hit her.

"You aren't going anywhere, Annabeth Chase," Luke yelled, defending himself from di Angelo's strike. "Not if I had a say in it. You're coming with me."

"No! She's coming with us!" di Angelo countered.

Annabeth's face steamed. "Don't I get a saying in where I go?"

Jason offered her a wary grin. "I am afraid you don't have a choice but to trust us, Ms. Chase."

"Great." She grumbled, allowing him to help her up, and they ran towards the back door. Annabeth could see the ocean from the window, glittering under the moonlight's rays. It was true that she wasn't fond of the ocean, but if Luke Castellan wanted to sacrifice her…

"Get out of my way, di Angelo!" Luke yelled far behind them, outraged.

"As you wish."

Annabeth heard a loud whistle and turned around just in time to see a huge dog leap out of the shadows and tackle Luke in a full-body slam. Her jaw dropped.

"Oh my gods! Is that a hellhound?" she exclaimed, astonished.

Jason glanced back at her, then at the hellhound. "Yup. That's Mrs. O'Leary alright."

"You _named_ the hellhound Mrs. O'Leary?"

"Captain's fond of her. She's a gift from a friend," di Angelo answered her, suddenly materializing beside them. "We need to move, Jason. Mrs. O'Leary can't stay long."

They were running towards the port's deck now, their feet slapping the sand quickly.

"I see the ship!" Jason exclaimed.

The crack of the gunfire cut through the night. Annabeth stumbled. Jason's hand on her arm kept her steady. "Keep moving, Ms. Chase. He has a bad aim."

"Thank Hades for that!" di Angelo rolled his eyes.

A couple of cracks filled the night sky again, but they had already reached the ship. It was huge, Annabeth observed, eyes wide. And it seemed to glitter under the moonlight and the waves reflected on its smooth, polished surface. She could see the letters _P.S.P_ painted in golden on the side with a mermaid statue attached to the ship's front, her mouth opened as if she was singing a soft melody.

Another crack.

A ladder was dangling from the side, and Jason and di Angelo helped her up. Annabeth climbed the ladder with them following behind.

"Stoll?" Jason yelled from behind her. A head popped from the side of the ship, yet Annabeth couldn't see it clearly. "Prepare for departure!"

"Aye, aye," the cheerful voice said, before the head disappeared and Annabeth heard people yelling commands at each other.

Another crack.

But by the time Luke Castellan reached them, Annabeth, Jason, and di Angelo were already on board and the ship was sailing towards the vast, infinite ocean.

_So much for a smooth night..._

-.-

_**Note: **Soo? What do you think? Chapter two is on the way! Reviews makes my day brighter! :D _

_Till next time!_

_Take care! _


	3. Chapter 2

_******Note: **Chapter 2! Woohooo! :D I hope you enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Percy Jackson, sadly! :(  
_

__-.-

_**Chapter 2**_

Annabeth blinked her eyes open slowly.

She could see the golden rays of the sun streaming down the small window. She slowly sat up, holding the blue blanket against her, and looked around the small space. She was in a cabin and sitting on a, surprisingly, comfortable bed. There was a small desk across the bed, and a small table containing a bowl and a jar.

Annabeth got up and walked towards the small window. The infinite blue ocean stretched out before her—a carpet of rippling waves. She felt a bit uneasy, and yet couldn't shake the feeling that she was safe now. She could feel the cold chain around her neck and the faint pulse of the amulet.

The amulet was home as well.

She traced the word engraved on the surface and looked down at herself. She sighed. The blue dress still clung to her figure and she was barefooted. She walked towards the small desk and opened the first drawer. Papers flung carelessly greeted her.

Annabeth groaned. Were there no other clothes in the room?

"Oh, you're awake."

She turned around. A young woman stood at the door, holding some folded clothes. She was about Annabeth's age with uneven, chopped brown hair and blue eyes. No, wait! Annabeth blinked. The woman had green eyes. Or was it brown?

Annabeth blinked again.

The woman smiled and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "I hope you had a pleasant night."

"How did I get here?" Annabeth asked, shifting uncomfortably.

Her companion gave her a sympathetic smile. "You fainted. I guess the shock of having someone shoot at you can do that."

Memories flooded Annabeth's mind in a rush. The ball. Luke. The pirates—Jason and di Angelo. Sacrifice. Her family…

"My family," Annabeth gasped, eyes wide. "Are they—?"

"Don't worry," the woman smiled. Her voice was so soothing; Annabeth couldn't help but relax. "They are fine. Travis and Conner made sure of that."

"Okay." She nodded.

"I'm Piper McLean. Daughter of Aphrodite."

"Annabeth Chase. Daughter of Athena."

"Figured." Piper grinned. "Your eyes, I mean. Only Athena's kids have gray eyes. You guys are unique that way."

Piper laid the clothes on the bed and turned to Annabeth. "I don't think that dress is very comfortable." She wrinkled her nose. Annabeth raised an eyebrow, amused. "You can change to these. I'm sorry, but we only have pants and shirts."

"Boots will be a good touch as well," Annabeth murmured.

Piper grinned. "Change while I fetch you some."

Annabeth was glad to get out of the dress. She silently thanked Piper for being so thoughtful as to give her a change of undergarments as well. Surprisingly, the baggy, black pants and the long-sleeved white shirt were comfortable. She pulled up the sleeves up to her elbows and made sure the amulet was tucked safely under the shirt.

"You look like a real sailor," Piper snorted when she saw her, handing her a pair of comfortable, black boots. Annabeth slipped them on. "I'll take you in a tour around the ship. Come on."

They exited the cabin and walked along the long, narrow hall. Annabeth took in her surroundings. The floor was polished wood and there were doors aligned on either side of her. Cabins, she presumed, for the other members of the ship. Torch lights were placed between each door and lit the corridor with a dim, golden hue.

"Those are the cabins as you might have already guessed. The cabin you woke up in is yours now. So feel free to do with it what you want." Piper said, then paused. "But don't set it on fire or anything…"

Annabeth stared at her. "Why would I do that?"

Piper grinned. "The Stolls did that—as a practical joke. Per—I mean, the Captain wasn't so pleased, although it was entertaining, somewhat." Piper shrugged. "The Stolls sleep in hammocks on the lower deck now. Not that they mind." She laughed. "They get to plan their pranks all they want."

"Sounds like they are the jesters." Annabeth commented.

"Sons of Hermes," Piper informed, shrugging. "What do you expect?"

The ship's floor rocked gently under her feet as Annabeth stepped out of the corridor and into the main deck. Her eyes widened in fascination. The deck was buzzing with excitement. Crew members were securing the ropes, adjusting the mast, and making sure the sails weren't torn. Others were having fun mopping the deck with water. They danced and sang and made jokes while running around with the mops in front of them. Some polished the railings of the ship. The sun bathed them all with its warm golden rays, and the salty breeze slapped their hairs and cheeks.

"Are they all demigods?" Annabeth asked, awed.

"Yup," Piper nodded.

Annabeth's mind reeled. She was on a ship, in the middle of the ocean, full of demigods. This was a sight she had never witness. This was an experience she had never had in her calculations. Ever since she found out that her mother was Athena, she had known that there would be others like her—demigods—around the globe—but _this_! This was quite intriguing.

Annabeth looked up. She stood on the main deck alright, but there was still one level above her. She could see the curved stairs on either side of her, and she wondered what was up there.

_The steering wheel,_ she mused, _or perhaps the captain's quarters. Or both._

She turned to ask Piper if she could meet the captain of the ship—maybe he could give her some answers—but she was cut off when a loud screech was heard throughout the whole deck.

"Travis Stoll, you insolent, little—" a very familiar voice shouted.

Everyone on the deck stopped to look at the commotion. Annabeth's eyes widened when she saw her best friend, Katie Gardner, running after a tall, messily-brown haired young man. Travis Stoll laughed heartily, jumping over mops and water-buckets.

"Catch me first, Katie-Kat!" he yelled, still laughing.

"You'll wish you have never been born when I do, Stoll!" Katie promised, jumping after him.

Everyone on the deck began laughing or muttering under their breaths and shaking their head. Annabeth could see the problem. Katie's once very rich brown hair was now a deep green. Annabeth guessed that the dye was placed in her shampoo or something. But if Katie was here, did that mean that she is a demigod as well?

Beside her, Piper sighed. "Those two are very obvious."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

"What is it about this time?"

Annabeth and Piper turned to see Jason Grace standing there, looking down at the scene with an amused smile.

Piper smiled. "Travis turned Katie's hair green."

Jason winced. "My heart is with him." He turned to Annabeth. "Did you sleep well, Ms. Chase?"

"Annabeth," she corrected. "Yes, thank you. If I—"

"Good. Then follow me, Annabeth. Pe—the captain would like to meet you." He gestured towards the curved stairs.

She followed Jason and Piper up the stairs, but paused just at the very last. The small deck held the wheel alright, but what shocked Annabeth was the guy steering. He was tall—much taller than any of the other guys on the ship—and had one brown eye in the middle of his head.

A Cyclopes.

"Your captain is a Cyclopes?" Annabeth breathed, astonished.

Piper laughed while Jason smiled. "Of course not." The latter responded. "He's the captain's half-brother."

"_Half_-brother?" Annabeth gaped.

"Piper! Jason!" the Cyclopes squealed childishly, leaving the wheel to spin and clapping his hands. He ran over towards them and scooped them both in a hug.

The wheel turned quickly, and the ship rocked under their feet. It began to lean towards the right dangerously.

"Tyson!" a curly black-haired young man yelled, moving forward quickly and grabbing the wheel. "How many times should we say to keep it steady?"

"Sorry!" Tyson exclaimed, his soft brown, baby eye watering a bit.

Annabeth felt the strangest urge to hug him.

"Hey, you must be the Chase girl!" the man steadying the wheel grinned, waving. "How's it going? I'm Leo Valdez! Son of Hephaestus and the main reason this baby is able to sail."

"He's the repair man," Piper translated.

Leo scowled. "That's not very nice, Beauty Queen. You know for a fact that we wouldn't be—"

"You are pretty." Tyson said, loudly, looking at Annabeth.

She blushed.

Jason laughed. "Yeah. Thanks for that, Ty. We'll see you both around later. By the way, where's Grover?"

"With brother and Nico." Tyson clapped, grinning.

Jason skirted around Tyson and Leo and opened a door that stood behind the wheel. Annabeth took a deep breath and entered. The door closed behind them.

The cabin was huge. Maps and charts hung on every wall and bulletin board. Chairs were scattered along the room, and a black chandelier dangled from the ceiling. The walls of the cabin were badly torn, as if someone hacked the paint with a knife. A long, oval-shaped table was placed in the middle and three men—well, two men and one half-goat, Annabeth realized, gaping—stood around it.

"North." She recognized the guy—di Angelo. "It's got to be north. There's nowhere else. It's the only place."

"Norrr-th!" the half-goat bleated nervously, reaching out to the nearest tin can and munching it. His dark hair was messed up and his chin was covered with a few hairs. "Boreas will blast us after last time."

Di Angelo tapped the map lying on the middle of the table. "Perce, you do see my point, don't you? They attack from the north, so they must be coming for the north."

Annabeth's breath caught in her throat as she saw the third man. He was her age with messily, black hair that fell over his sea-green eyes. He wore what everyone else on the ship wore—black baggy pants and shirt, but his shirt was blue. A blue bandana wrapped around his wrist and a trident pendent rested against his chest. He looked decidedly handsome as he ran his hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.

Annabeth shivered, but this time, it had nothing to do with the pulsing amulet around her neck.

"Nico, I'm not sure they are coming for the north. The prophecy did not actually state that it is the north. It simply stated where we can find the amulet."

Jason cleared his throat.

The three men looked up, and accidently, Annabeth's gray eyes met sea-green ones.

"Ooo-oh!" the half-goat bleated.

Nico di Angelo stepped away from the chart, and the sea-green eyed man smiled at her. "Welcome aboard _Poseidon's Sea Pearl_, Ms. Chase. I'm Captain Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. This is Nico di Angelo, son of Hades—" he gestured towards Nico, who nodded, "—and Grover Underwood, our Keeper and well, as you can see, a satyr."

Grover grinned and walked over towards her on his hooves. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Chase."

"Annabeth," she corrected him, shaking his hand. "Um, I'm the daughter of Athena…"

Percy's expression did not change, as she thought it would. His face stayed open and honest. She thought, considering the rivalry going on between Poseidon and Athena, that he would dump her in the ocean quicker than she could say "parley" but Percy Jackson simply nodded.

"You're brimming with questions then," he grinned. "Typical from Athena's kids, of course."

She felt her face get warm as she sat down on the chair he gestured. Nevertheless, she took the invitation. "Why did you attack my family's ball?"

"We are sorry for that," Percy apologized sincerely. "But when Katie informed us that Castellan was going to be there"—he scowled—"we had to act fast."

Annabeth's jaw dropped. "Katie was the one that allowed you to enter?" she couldn't believe it. Her best friend was a demigod, she never told her, and she helped those people crash her father's important night.

How could she—?

"Uh, Annabeth, please calm down," Grover said, sensing her emotions, no doubt. "Your family is safe. You are safe."

"What exactly am I safe from?" she said. She did not understand why she was frustrated and angry—she had come willingly last night. But now, knowing that Katie Gardner, the only person she trusted, did not trust her, well, it kind of hit a sore spot.

"Luke Castellan, of course," Percy said, looking at her confusedly. "From what Jason and Nico told me, he was talking to you about—"

"—a sacrifice," Annabeth continued, her anger suddenly dissipating. "Yes. He said something about that. What did he mean?"

"Well, it's not exactly what you think," Percy scratched the back of his neck. "He just needs a couple of drops of your blood, the amulet, and _boom_!" he clapped his hands together. "The gate will be opened forever."

The amulet pulsed against her skin, reacting to the words.

"Curse the day Chiron trusted him with the mission," Nico muttered under his breath, kicking a tin can. Grover scooped it up and munched it nervously.

"The amulet…" Annabeth reached under her shirt and pulled it out. "You mean this?"

Five pairs of eyes took in the circular figure.

Percy sighed. "Well, it's it, all right."

"But, it's just something I found when I was nine on the beach," Annabeth's mind was reeling. She couldn't understand the significance of the little thing.

"It's not just _something_," Nico grumbled, obviously on the edge. "It's the missing piece we need."

"Need to do what?"

"Eleven years ago, our director sent some demigods out on a quest towards The Gates," Percy explained, sitting down across from her. "Their quest was to capture the drakon that escaped and send it back inside The Gates."

"And those Gates are the barrier between our worlds?" Annabeth guessed.

Percy grinned. "Exactly. As long as they are closed, no monsters can escape. Well, almost no monsters. There are other ways for them to cross to our world, but The Gates are the main route."

"And Luke Castellan opened them," Annabeth whispered, fingering her amulet.

"Yup." Percy pointed to her amulet. "That thing literally holds the doors together. And Castellan took it. The Gates has been opened since then and monsters had roamed our world looking for demigods."

"But Luke lost it on the way back," Annabeth could see the picture now. "And it washed up to shore and I found it…"

"Hmm," Percy scratched his chin, staring at her intently. "Pretty much, yeah. I mean, I guess, yeah…"

She looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

He blinked and shook his head slightly. "I mean, yes. That's what happened." Did she imagine the pink tint on his cheeks?

"Okay, so you kidnapped me—"

Jason and Nico coughed delicately. "You came willingly."

Annabeth scowled at them. Percy couldn't suppress his grin.

"I only came because Luke Castellan was shooting," she mumbled, rolling her eye, "and talking about a sacrifice and all—"

"Well, it's a good thing that you did, then." Percy said, grinning.

"But I don't want to stay!" Annabeth stood up, shaking her head. Her hair fell over her shoulders. "Listen, I appreciate that you 'saved me' and all—"

"We _did_ save you," Percy pointed out, still grinning.

She glared at him. "_Thank you_. However, I have no intentions of staying. So, here's your amulet, and thanks for the ride, but I would like to go back to land. Now."

She took the amulet off and laid it on the table in front of Percy. Oddly enough, Annabeth felt empty. She was very tempted to snatch the amulet back and keep it safe around her neck. She could feel Percy Jackson's eyes watching her intently, and she blushed. Somehow, she knew he knew what she was thinking.

He got up and reached out to grab the amulet. Annabeth's hand twitched. Percy's eyes caught the movement.

His grin angered her for some reason.

"I believe that we can't do that, Ms. Chase," he said, formally. "You see, the thing is, we can't put the amulet back."

"Why?" she hissed.

"Because only its finder can place it back," he shrugged, not bothered by her murderous look. "Besides, if we bring you back to land, Castellan will still be after your blood. So, it's safer to stay here, with us." He grinned. "Full sleep and food guaranteed. However, of course, you'll have to help around the ship."

"I haven't agreed to anything," she snapped.

"If you're half as smart, you will agree," he replied, easily.

Annabeth's anger snapped. He did not just insult her intelligence! He did _not_! She glared at him so intensely that Percy Jackson felt the need to flee the room; however, he stood his ground, and looked at her storming gray eyes, unflinchingly.

_Very intimidating, beautiful gray eyes_, he noticed in the back of his mind.

Before long, Annabeth reached out and snatched the amulet, slipping it back around her neck and tucking it under her shirt.

Percy's grin returned. "Good choice, Wise Girl. Welcome aboard." She glared at him murderously. "Piper, why don't you give Ms. Chase something to do? I am sure she'll be very useful in the kitchens."

Annabeth frowned, perplexed. "But I don't cook."

Percy Jackson's grin widened.

-.-

Oh, it was official! She was _so_ going to kill him. She didn't care if he was the captain, or that he was the son of Poseidon and they were practically in his domain: she was going to _kill_ him!

Her asbestos gloves were beginning to lose their function again and she stopped to remove them and wore another pair. The harpies around her were peaceful enough when she had entered. At first, she really thought that Percy Jackson meant that she was going to help them cook, but then, when they pointed her and Piper to the boiling lava tub that sat in between dirty pile of dishes, she was ready to _murder_.

Apparently, harpies liked cleaning with lava than water because it gave extra shine and killed the germs completely. And there were piles and piles of dishes.

Piper sat across from her, giving her wary looks every now and then, but Annabeth simply swept her hair back, made sure her asbestos apron protected her body, and got back to work furiously.

From her peripheral vision, Annabeth saw someone sit down beside her and dig into the lava with her and Piper. She looked up.

Katie Gardener looked back at her.

They both looked at each other for the longest time, before Annabeth sighed. "Daughter of…?"

"Demeter," Katie answered, smiling small.

"That explains why the plants always looked lively around the house," Annabeth said, dryly, but her eyes were smiling.

Katie knew she was forgiven.

"Are you okay, Annabeth?" she questioned. "I heard from Nico what happened yesterday, about Luke, I mean…"

"Oh, I am fine," Annabeth scrubbed a dish with the lava. "I'm in the ocean, on a pirate ship—"

"We are not pirates," Piper shook her head.

"—and washing dishes with lava," Annabeth continued, glaring at nothing in particular. "And you have a captain that I wish to murder."

Katie sighed. "The captain is a good man, Annabeth. He just—" he pursued her lips, trying not to smile. "He just likes teasing people."

The daughter of Athena looked shocked. "Oh? _This_ is teasing me?"

"In his way, yes."

"Well, he—"

The ship rocked so violently that the harpies had to drag the three women away from the lava that splashed all around. From high above, they could hear commands being screamed and feet pounding the floor.

The ship tilted to the right side, and Annabeth's found her footing slipping. She rolled along with the pots and pans to the other side, and slammed into the wooden wall. Beside her, Piper groaned.

"We're under attack," she said, standing up and helping Katie up as well.

Annabeth followed the two as they ran towards the upper deck. As they burst into the deck, she froze, eyes wide at the scene before her. A full fight was raging on the deck—demigods vs. well, dogs. Their faces were dogs, but their bodies looked like sea mammals with clawed humanoid hands. The creatures bared their teeth and snapped at the demigods, who slashed at them with bronze swords, knives, and bows and arrows.

Annabeth could see Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo, and Jason Grace in the middle, fighting as well.

"Leo, keep the ship steady as much as you can!" Percy was yelling, before he stabbed the creature and it disintegrated. "Grover, secure the mast!"

The ship rocked again. Annabeth could see that more monsters were climbing the ship, and their weight made the ship tilt right and left. They came from either side. Beside her, Piper unsheathed her knife. Katie ran to help Grover in making sure no monsters got the mast.

"Telekhines." Piper identified the monsters, a look of disgust on her face. "Sea demons."

"Where can I get one of those?" Annabeth asked, looking at Piper's knife.

A telekhine jumped out of nowhere; however, Piper quickly pushed Annabeth out of the way, whirled around, and stabbed the monster right in the stomach. It gave a painful howl before it disintegrated into dust.

"You'll find something around," Piper shouted above the screams, jumping away from another monster's attack.

Annabeth ran around her, and dodged the fighting demigods and monsters. Her gray eyes searched desperately for a weapon. Screams and shouts were filling the night sky as Leo Valdez tried his hardest to keep the ship as steady as possible. Annabeth could feel the wave crashing against the ship's surface, rocking it back and forth harshly. The sky was dark, but there were no signs of a storm.

With a yelp, she was thrown into the wooden floor face-first when a monster tackled her out of nowhere. Annabeth squirmed, and managed to face the monster. His dog face was inches away from her own, and he growled.

Annabeth scowled and, using her feet, kneaded the monster in the stomach and flipped it over her head, scrambling to her feet. It landed with a hard _thud_.

She gagged. "Gods, didn't they hear of toothpaste or something?"

The monster rolled into its feet again, snarling furiously, and lunged at her. Annabeth dodged, her gray eyes catching a glint of bronze behind the monster. A knife. Her eyes returned to the monster. It was a bit overweight, so speed wasn't its specialty. She could get the knife, she was sure. She just needed the timing.

The telekhine took a step forward.

Gathering as much of her courage as she could, Annabeth ran forward. The monster was startled, she could tell. She slid right in between its legs; the monster's face followed her, its eyes confused. Annabeth reached the knife, grabbed it and, in one swift motion, stabbed the monster.

It howled once and then disintegrated.

Annabeth grinned. She felt exhilarated. Was that what adrenaline felt like?

She couldn't wonder for long for three more monsters materialized out of nowhere, and she focused on what was going on around her. They were driving her backwards as she slashed with her knife to keep them away. She noticed from the corner of her eye some demigods throwing the monsters back into the sea instead of stabbing them. Somehow, she knew that was a bad idea.

Abruptly, she ran into something hard. She looked around, startled, but it wasn't a some_thing_. It was someone—Percy Jackson. He looked back at her for a split second, before turning his attention back to the monster in his hands, stabbing it with a faintly glowing, double-edged, bronze sword.

Annabeth stabbed her own monster. "Do you always have this kind of welcome party for a new member on your ship, Captain?"

She couldn't see him, since their backs were still pressed up together, but oh, did she hear _that_ grin in his voice. "Only because it's you, Ms. Chase. After all, it's not every day monsters attack my ship from thin air."

"Oh, I am flattered," she said, sarcastically, her feet shuffling with his own. More monsters climbed the rails of the ship. Demigods yelled as they charged.

She could see Piper and Jason covering one another, slashing and stabbing and helping the injured demigods get into safety. She could see Nico driving the monsters away from the wheel, where Leo was having a hard time controlling the ship with the waves splashing harshly on its sides, rocking it right and left. Tyson was there too, grabbing the monsters and knocking their heads with each other, disintegrating them immediately.

She even spotted the hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary, barking furiously, gnawing on a monster's limp, and body-slamming some monsters.

"Peruses Jackson," the telekhine snarled, half-dog, half-human. "Give me the treasure."

Annabeth stumbled, but Percy's hand reached around to steady her. "You know, I wonder why you bother when you already know the answer. And I am pretty sure there's a Captain somewhere before my name…"

Annabeth couldn't believe he was making a joke. However, she kept her eyes on the monsters. How could they beat those guys? They were hundreds of them and if you splash them into the water, they reform and come back more powerful than before. They couldn't go on stabbing them; it'll take all night and she could see more than a dozen demigods were injured.

"Fire." She whispered. She felt Percy shift. "We need campfire."

"This is not the time to go camping, Wise Girl," Percy grunted, pushing the monster away with his sword.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean _that_ kind of fire, Seaweed Brain." She felt him tense, but she continued nevertheless. "These creatures are sea demons, right? So, we need the counterpart of water. We need fire."

"Leo!" Percy yelled, stabbing. "Can you make us a fire? Like, a really huge, blazing one?"

"What should I set on fire, Captain?" Leo grinned, as he motioned Tyson to keep the wheel steady. "The mast?"

"No, you elf! The wooden logs. Set them on fire and pass them around." Then he yelled louder to the other demigods. "Burn them! Don't throw them back to the sea!"

"Aye, aye, captain," they all chorused and Leo took hold of some scattered wooden logs they kept for the cooking fire and started igniting them one by one using his hands.

Annabeth watched him, though she was distracted every once in a while as a monster slashed at her. She stabbed at it. The wooden logs began traveling around the demigods, and soon, hundreds of flickering lights filled the deck against the darkness of the night sky. One touch from the blazing flame and the monsters howled in pain, withering violently, before they disintegrated into ash.

"It worked!" Leo said, amazed.

Annabeth was tossed a log, and she quickly set to work. It wasn't long before the monster's howls were just a distant voice in the wind, and the deck was overwhelmed by great piles of smoking ash.

The waves continued to rock the ship forward and backwards, but it was a gentle rocking now. The storm has passed for now.

Annabeth sank to her knees, panting heavily. Her adrenaline rush left her just as fast as it came to her, and now, all that was left was bewilderment and fatigue. She had really fought mythological monsters, hadn't she?

Her hand flew towards her neck, and she sighed in relief when she felt the amulet still there. They hadn't taken what they wanted. Around her, the crew was assessing the damage. It wasn't that bad, thankfully, but the injured were quickly taken by some of Apollo's sons for treatment.

"Here,"

She looked up, startled, to find Percy Jackson's hand in front of her. She looked up at him, curious. He grinned.

She accepted his hand and he helped her to her feet. They stared at each other for the longest time, curiously studying the other.

Finally, Percy smiled. "That was some good thinking, Wise Girl."

"Hmm," she hummed, pulling her hair away from her face. "I am part of the crew now, aren't I? Have to protect the ship and all…"

He laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. You've certainly proven what you're made of." He gestured to the knife. "The best knife user I have ever seen. And I bet you haven't been trained."

"I guess it's in my blood, Seaweed Brain," she shrugged.

He scowled at the nickname.

She smirked. Serves him right for making her work with lava. Besides, she liked the nickname. And if he was going to call her 'Wise Girl', she sure as Hades was going to call him 'Seaweed Brain'.

"Well, it's been one heck of a night," Percy said, looking around his crew. "Get to bed, everyone. We'll work on it later."

They all shot him grateful looks, calling goodnight to each other as they walked towards their cabin. Leo moved back towards the wheel where Tyson and Mrs. O'Leary were already standing there.

Jason was helping Piper to her feet and they both nodded to Percy in thanks before they disappeared towards their separate cabins. Nico just slumped against the ship's railing, shaking soot away from his hair.

Percy looked back at Annabeth. "You better take some rest too."

She nodded, and waved the knife in front of her face. "I'll hold on to this."

"Whatever floats your boat."

She nodded and turned around, wondering what tomorrow had in store for them.

-.-

_**Note: **Nicknames already! Yay! :D I just love those two! So, what do you think? X_X You're opinon matters the most! Chapter 3 is on its way! :D_

_Take care!_

_Till next time! _


	4. Chapter 3

_******Note: **Hiya, guys! :D Special thanks and hugs to all who reviewed! You guys make up my day! Thank you! So, here's chapter three. I hop you enjoy it!_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians! Sadly... :(  
_

_**Chapter 3**_

The salty air slapped her cheeks softly.

The moon shined brightly high above in the mid-night carpet, and the sea's waves were calm and soothing, their slaps gentle at the ship's body. The sound of the water was oddly relaxing, and she should be able to sleep, but she couldn't. Her mind was working non-stop.

Annabeth Chase watched the moon from her place—she was sitting on the stairs that led to the helm. Her fingers stroke the amulet softly; they tingled every time the circular figure pulsed.

She could hear Tyson's soft humming from the helm, where he was steering the ship steadily south. After the telekhines attack three days ago, they needed to find land so that they can get more supplies. They had lost a lot of firewood, ropes, and they needed an extra pair of sails incase another attack occurred.

In the back of her mind, Annabeth knew the attack was her fault. If she wasn't on the ship, those sea demons would have never even thought about hurting those demigods. But Grover had reassured her that even though she was the main target, yes, the _Poseidon's Sea Pearl_ has seen darker days.

And yet, she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt out of her chest. If she had never picked up the amulet—

If she had never found it—

If she had never followed Jason and Nico—

"Brother!" Tyson squealed quietly, and Annabeth tensed.

"Hey there, big guy. Is everything okay?" she heard Percy Jackson's voice, and against her will, her heart reacted.

"The winds are with us, brother. We should be in camp tomorrow."

"Keep it steady, Ty."

Annabeth heard his footsteps; they were getting closer. And then, they paused. She knew he had spotted her.

Percy was surprised when he saw the outline of Annabeth Chase sitting on the stairs, looking up at the night sky. Why wasn't she sleeping?

Slowly, he made his way down the stairs, before he paused just beside her, and sank down.

"What are you doing out here, Miss Chase?" he whispered, tilting his head to the side, studying her.

She turned to him, her intelligent gray eyes curious. "You know, Captain, everyone on the ship calls me Annabeth by now, expect you."

He blinked. So she didn't want to talk about it. Okay, he could play along. "Well, I prefer to call you Wise Girl, in all honesty. But Miss Chase is more formal since I sent Jason and Nico to _kidnap_ you and all…"

She rolled her eyes and looked away to hide her smile.

Percy grinned. "Besides, you call me Seaweed Brain or Captain. You never call me Percy."

She shifted. "I like Seaweed Brain better." She smirked. "It suits you."

He scowled.

A cloud shifted in the vast sky and covered the moon. The dim light that illuminated the ship's deck was blocked temporarily. They stayed there for the longest time, simply sitting on the stair, comfortable in each other's company.

Finally, Annabeth took a deep breath. "I am sorry."

Percy blinked. "For what?"

"I—if it wasn't for me, you would have never been under attack and all…" she mumbled, looking down at her intertwined hands in her lap. "I mean, a lot of people were hurt and—"

"Whoa! Hold it there, Wise Girl! It's not your fault." Percy shook his head. "This is what it's all about? You feel guilty?"

Embarrassed, Annabeth nodded.

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "Look, Annabeth," the use of her name made her look up, "believe me when I say this ship has seen worse than telekhines. It has traveled to far more dangerous places—the Sea of Monsters, for example. And here it is, still sailing. We even crossed roads with the Romans once, and that did not end well. And believe me they fight brutally. In the end, we just went our different ways after a bloody fight, and we got Jason as a new friend and—"

"Wait, what? Jason is a Roman?"

"Yeah, the son of Jupiter." He frowned. "You didn't know?"

With a shock, Annabeth realized that no, she did not know. She didn't bother to ask and no one said anything. That would explain why his weapon was Imperial Gold instead of Celestial Bronze.

She shook her head. "No, I didn't."

"Well, you know now," he grinned. "The point, Wise Girl, is that it is not your fault. So what if some sea demons attack us? We kicked their butts thanks to your brilliant idea, and even if anything else attacks us, we'll be ready and fight them. It's what we do."

Annabeth nodded, accepting Percy's words. He was right, she knew. And somehow, after his little speech, her guilt seemed to ease a bit. She turned to him and smiled.

"Guess this is a demigod's life, eh?"

"Yup. No escaping it." He agreed, grinning genuinely now. "I am surprised that you have been with your family without any monsters attacking you…"

She shook her head. "Well, you're right in one thing. No monsters attacked me, but that didn't mean that I did not see them. When my mom claimed me at twelve, I began to see them clearly."

"That would be the Mist's doing," Percy informed. "It acts like veil. Mortals can't see through it."

Annabeth blinked. "You mean, when Jason and Nico invaded the party, the mortals did not see the swords?"

"Yeah. They probably thought they were holding pistols."

Annabeth's hand continued to stroke the amulet. Thinking about the party made her think about something else that has been bothering her for a while. She debated with herself if she should ask Percy or not.

"Who do you think is behind Luke Castellan?" she asked.

When Percy looked at her in confusion, she rolled her eyes. "The mastermind, Seaweed Brain. I don't believe that Luke is alone in this. There has to be someone behind him, ordering him to do this and that."

Percy's eyes cleared and shone with understanding, yet he was still frowning. "I don't know." He ran a hand through his hair. "Tomorrow, when we dock, we'll ask Chiron." Seeing her confused face, he smiled. "He's our trainer. He's the one who sent us to get you."

_Then you should stay here on land, Ms. Chase…_

Annabeth nodded. "I see." She stood up, stretching. "Well, it is getting late. I guess I'll head to bed. Goodnight."

But before she could take a step, Percy's hand reached out and grabbed her fingers. She paused, and her skin tingled.

She turned to look at him.

The clouds subsided, and the moonlight shined down on the deck. Annabeth could see his sea-green eyes sparkling in determination.

"Annabeth, I promise I'll take you back to your family safe." He whispered solemnly. "I promise…"

Inwardly, she smiled: _I believe you, Percy…_

Annabeth squeezed his hand once and then, turned and walked towards her cabin.

-.-

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

If she had thought that a ship full of demigods was fascinating, this was ten-times better. To her right side, a thick forest stretched out, green and lush. To her left, she could see a huge climbing wall oozing lava was set, a few demigods climbing over it. In front of her in the distance, Annabeth spotted buildings designed in Greek architecture—amphitheatre, an open-air pavilion, a huge, circular arena. There were a few demigods canoeing through the river, and she could see a set of cabins in a huge U shape in the middle.

Grover sprinted out towards the woods. Beside her, Piper smiled. "He must miss Juniper."

"Who?" Annabeth asked, still looking around.

"His girlfriend. She's a wood nymph."

Annabeth nodded in understanding as she followed Piper. The former was completely overwhelmed. The architecture was amazing! The foundation, the columns, the perfect space between the room and the room. And wow, was that marble? It shined in the sun brightly.

Tyson broke off the group and went towards a building that looked like forge. Kids got out of it with soot and ash covering their faces.

Nico stopped. "I'll go fetch us some ropes and sails," he muttered, before he disappeared out of nowhere.

Percy shouted: "Don't forget the food!" but Annabeth doubted Nico heard him.

In the distance, and coming steadily closer, was a huge house with a porch wrapped all around it. Beside the house, strawberries grew in a large field. Annabeth inhaled, and relaxed as the sweet scent of berries engulfed her whole being.

In a nearby sandpit, a few demigods were playing volleyball. They paused when they saw Annabeth and the rest coming towards the house, and they grinned.

"Jackson is back!"

"Percy is back! He found the amulet."

"Who's the new girl?"

"She's hot."

"Do you think she's single?"

Percy shot them a look that made them all turn their eyes away from her and back to their game. Annabeth felt her face grow warm, and her stomach did a small flip.

Beside her, Piper McLean was trying in vain to hide her smile.

By now, Annabeth could make out two figures sitting on the porch in front of a small table. They seemed to be playing cards. One of them looked up at them and smiled in relief. Annabeth realized with a shock that he was half-man, half-horse—his upper body was human, but his lower body was a white stallion.

"Ah, my boy. You made it!" he grinned.

"Was there a bet going on that we won't?" Percy asked, sarcastically, but he was grinning as well.

"It would have given us peace for once," the other man grumbled. His nose was red and his eyes were watery. He wore a Hawaiian t-shirt with tiger-patterns drawn on it.

The centaur sighed. "Mr. D…"

"Just stating a fact," Mr. D said, rolling his watery eyes and running his hand over a cup beside him. Annabeth saw that it filled instantly with wine. Thunder rumbled in the clear, blue sky. "Okay. Okay. I am sorry!" Mr. D snapped.

He ran his hand over the cup again, and the wine turned to diet coke.

Annabeth bit her lip. _Dionysus…_

However, Percy simply rolled his eyes and gestured towards her. "Chiron, Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. Annabeth, this is Chiron, our trainer." He turned reluctantly to Mr. D, but spoke respectfully: "And this is Mr. D…"

Mr. D sized her up, and Annabeth couldn't help raising an eyebrow. "Ah, well, yes. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. I do hope you try not to make anything explode and I do prefer if you run along quickly, Annabelle."

"Annabeth," she corrected, chancing a glance at Piper.

Piper simply shrugged. Jason bit his lip to hide a smile.

"Right." He took a disdainful sip from his diet coke.

Chiron sighed. "Why don't we walk around the camp, children? And you tell me all about what happened."

And they did. Jason explained how he and Nico crashed the Chase's ball, faced off with Luke Castellan, and 'kidnapped' Annabeth—she rolled her eyes at that part as Jason and Percy flashed her matching grins. Then Percy explained about how they were attacked by telekhines and they just wanted to resupply the ship before setting off again.

Chiron sighed. "And the amulet is with you, dear?"

Annabeth took the amulet out from under her shirt. Chiron held balanced it on his fingertips, studying it with great interest. "For a small thing to cause a huge disaster…"

Annabeth met Percy's eyes. She nodded.

"Chiron, we were wondering"—she smiled at his use of the plural form—"if you knew who is behind Castellan? Annabeth believes that he can't be working alone, and I agree, but—"

"That's the million drachma question, my boy," Chiron said, still studying the amulet. "No one knows who is behind Luke. However, we do know that it's not forgiving…"

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"Will Solace found Chris Rodriguez wandering around the borders of camp, talking about the earth swallowing them or something…" Chiron sighed, shaking his head. "The poor kid was barely in his mind…"

Piper's eyes—flicking from blue to green—filled with concern. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Mr. D has a certain gift with insanity," Chiron said, grinning warily. "According to him, Chris should be up and about in three days at most."

"Does Clarisse know?" she questioned.

Chiron shook his head. "Clarisse has set out a week ago. She said she couldn't stand giving Percy all the glory."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Of course."

"And she isn't taking any Iris-messages. Besides, she is already upset about the whole thing with Chris, so we aren't really eager to tell her anything."

"Who did she take?" Jason asked.

"A couple of the Ares kids. Silena insisted that she wanted to go, and of course, Beckendorf accompanied her." Chiron said.

"Of course!" Percy and Jason exclaimed, sharing a grin.

"And a few of the Apollo kids as well. They took the _Wild Boar_ and just sailed."

"But she does know that the amulet has already been found, right?" Percy asked. "I told Grover to IM you and tell you…"

"Yes, she did. But you know Clarisse," Chiron smiled again, tiredly. "She doesn't take no for an answer."

"What is she trying to find anyway?" Piper asked, tugging at one of her braids.

"Who knows?" Jason countered.

Percy turned to Jason, Piper, and Annabeth. "Alright as soon as Nico, Grover, and Tyson come back, we'll set sail again. We just need to ask—"

"_Percy_!"

Something slammed into him. He struggled to maintain his balance as red strands filled his vision and he felt arms wrap around his waist.

He patted her back awkwardly. "Hey, Rachel."

Annabeth tensed, her fists clenching at her sides unconsciously. Why the hell—? But then she snapped out of it, her eyes wide. Why was she feeling this way? What were those feelings?

No, she wasn't…

She couldn't…

But as she turned to look away, she noticed Piper smiling knowingly at her. Annabeth glared back, although she knew she wasn't annoyed with the brunette.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Rachel said, smiling and looking at Jason and Piper as well. "All of you." She turned to Percy. "Did you find it?"

"Yeah, we found it," Percy smiled, stepping away from her embrace. "And we found another demigod as well. Rachel, Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. Annabeth, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the camp's oracle."

Annabeth blinked. "Nice to meet you."

Rachel grinned, shaking the hand Annabeth offered. "Nice to meet you too. So, you're the one, huh? In the last IM, Percy did say you were pre—"

Percy stepped on her foot. Rachel yelled. Chiron chuckled, amusedly.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, but Percy Jackson avoided her eyes.

"Anyway," he said, loudly, glaring at the red-head. "I was just about to come see you. Predict us a prophecy if you please."

Rachel's face turned guilty. "I am sorry, Percy. But there aren't any prophecies in the way. I came here to tell you that, and to tell you if you wanted to locate the Gates, follow the amulet."

Annabeth blinked. "What?"

"The amulet should guide you," Rachel nodded towards the circular thing. "Another warning, though, you're only safe in the sea, so try not to get on land too much, okay?"

As everyone else nodded, Annabeth's eyes narrowed.

_Then you should stay here on land, Ms. Chase…_

-.-

Annabeth walked around camp, her gray eyes calculating and looking at all the different buildings. She was in love with this place. She had never, in her wildest dreams, thought that there could be a whole camp for demigods.

Did her father know about this? And if he did, why didn't he tell her?

But she knew, deep down, that if he had told her had he known, she would have wanted to stay here. It wasn't that she didn't love her family, but sometimes, being the governor's daughter could be a bit tiresome.

She ran her hand down a marble column, feeling its texture and ripples. She wondered if the camp had some papers and pencils. Inspiration was hitting her hard and she felt the need to draw something as equally beautiful as the Greek building before her, if not better than it.

_You should stay on land, Ms. Chase…_

Luke Castellan's words rang in her head repeatedly. Somehow, she had a vague sense on who is their real opponent, but what she couldn't understand was why Luke? What made him so bitter towards the gods? What was his real motivation in stealing the amulet and opening the Gates?

"I can see the gears turning," a voice teased.

She whipped around, her eyes narrowed, but when she saw it was simply Nico di Angelo, she relaxed her grip on her knife.

"What is it, Nico?"

"We are almost ready to set sail, so we should head back," he said, eyes twinkling. "And Piper asked me to tell you this: _Don't worry; no threat is_ _boarding with us_."

Annabeth scowled, although she could feel her face turning warm. "I'm not worried about that."

"Hmm…" Nico hummed, smirking unnervingly.

She walked forward briskly but paused when she remembered something. "Do you have any sketchpads and pencils aboard?"

Nico raised an eyebrow. "No. But I can ask the Stoll brothers to get you some before we set out."

"That would be nice. Thank you," and she walked briskly again, trying to ignore Nico's provoking chuckle.

Annabeth made up her mind. She was going to kill Piper, regardless that she liked the brunette and considered her a very close friend already. And she wasn't so bad for an Aphrodite kid either, but this—

She could see the ship now, buzzing with excitement. Orders were being yelled.

"Haul the pennant line."

"Slack the windward brace and sheet."

"Raise the anchor."

"_Aye_!" several voices cried out.

Annabeth could see Percy at the helm, talking with Leo and Tyson. Mrs. O'Leary was sitting on the side, barking happily with Grover patting her neck every now and then. In the middle of the deck, a black pegasus stood, its black wings spread wide open majestically. Its head swiveled to her direction, and its dark eyes bore into hers.

Abruptly, she felt that her legs were made of lead. Her legs were so heavy; she couldn't move. It felt like her boots were rebelling against the sand, not allowing her to move forward.

The pegasus whinnied alarmingly.

And that's when she understood that something was horribly wrong.

Annabeth looked down, horrified, at the boiling sand around her legs. The sand bubbled and turned from sandy-brown into dark gray and black, trailing up her boots, slowly sucking her towards the earth.

The pegasus whinnied again, loudly, drowning out Annabeth's rapid curses. The boiling sand enveloped her whole lower body. She could hear people screaming in the distance, and their feet pounding against the deck and into the sand.

She saw Percy running towards her and instinctively, she reached up and pulled the amulet off her neck. He seemed to understand because as soon as she pitched it towards him, his hands opened and he caught it.

"Get a rope!" he ordered, beginning careful not to step into the boiling sand as well. "Are you okay, Wise Girl?" he mentally smacked himself at the stupid question.

"Oh, yeah, sure—I am simply sinking in a pile of burning land, Seaweed Brain. But other than that, I am superb." She sent him a sarcastic smile as she tried in vain to move.

He rolled his eyes. "You know that's not what I meant. I meant to say: Hang on, we're coming to get you out."

"Oh. Now, why didn't you be more specific earlier?" she asked, feeling the boiling earth under her shirt now. "And you know, this would be a good time for you to get me out."

He slipped the amulet into his pocket just as Piper, Jason, and Katie came running up. She could hear Chiron's hooves in the distance pounding the forest floor to get to them.

Jason threw her the rope. "Hang on, Annabeth."

Her hands took hold of the rope tightly. The foursome in front of her pulled back with all their might. The muddy sand was creeping towards her chest now. Annabeth growled in annoyance.

"I am sorry, Mother Earth," she hissed to the soil, feeling her friends trying to haul her desperately. "I don't think I am on the menu today. You can go eat rocks for all I care."

The sand seemed to sizzle.

Annabeth tried to push her weight up but the sand's pull was too strong. She groaned in annoyance again. Tyson, Leo, and the Stoll brothers along with Nico and Grover suddenly joined the others, pulling as forcefully as they can.

She gasped, feeling the sand reach her neck. Her hands burned from the tight grip on the rope. It relaxed for a minute, but Percy's shout startled her.

"Don't you dare let go, Wise Girl!"

"Easy for you to say," she muttered, but she did as she was asked.

The sand seemed to pause as it reached her chin. She could feel the grains brushing against her throat and the upper part of her bosom. She smirked mentally.

_You won't find what you seek, Mother Earth…_

Suddenly, she was yanked out of the mud and into the dry sand in one heave. She gasped, startled, as her friends all tumbled backwards and fell in a heap over each other.

Chiron stood tall beside them, holding the rope in one hand. "Are you okay, my dear?" he asked, helping Annabeth to her feet.

"I have been better." She replied.

Piper and Katie rushed over to her, inspecting her for any harm. Except for the enormous amount of mud in her boots and under her shirt, she was fine, she reassured them. The boys picked themselves up and walked over to her, making sure she was okay.

"But the borders are supposed to protect the camp!" Grover said, his hooves shuffling nervously as if he expected a boiling sandpit to drag him under.

"I suppose our opponent is stronger than we think," Chiron said, looking at the slowly sizzling sand. "The goddess of earth, Gaea."

"Wait!" Tyson exclaimed, his brown eye huge. "Mother Earth is evil?"

"Apparently," Jason said, disgusted.

"But Mother Earth should be kind. Ponies. Butterflies. Rainbows…"

"I am sorry, big guy," Percy said, patting his brother's back. "But this Mother Earth clearly has some very disturbing ideas about _kindness_."

"You must set sail immediately." Chiron ordered, nodding towards the ship. "And stay away from the land as much as you can."

-.-

The ship moved steadily through the sea's waves. The wind was on their side again, so the sails were puffed up full blast. The crew members buzzed around, replacing the old railings with new Celestial bronze railings and securing the ropes that held the sails to the mast.

In one of the cabins, Annabeth Chase sat on her bed, fully bathed and in fresh pair of baggy pants and white shirt with boots. She rolled the sleeves of the shirt to her elbows, and looked out of her small window.

The sea seemed so calm, yet she knew that any minute now, it might rebel. The sea wasn't obedience in nature, and it needed its own space and freedom sometime.

As strange as it might sound, she had come to love the sound of the sea and its presence in the past week. She was never fond of it, and now she knew that she hadn't given it enough justice. It was soothing and she lost herself into its depths…

A knock sounded on her door.

"Come in."

She blinked when Percy Jackson entered her small room, closing the door softly behind him. They regarded each other for a full minute, before he moved and sat beside her.

She looked on, curious.

"You look better without the mud all over you," he said, smiling teasingly. "Although, I must admit, it did clash well with your hair. You looked like an Earthborn—without the extra set of arms."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Flattering, Percy…"

He laughed at her expression. "If it wasn't for Blackjack though, we wouldn't have seen you…"

"The pegasus?" Annabeth asked, tilting her head. "His name is Blackjack?"

"Yup. And he'll be coming with us on the rest of the journey,"

"That's nice."

A comfortable silence settled between them. However, something felt different. It was almost as if an electric current was in the air. The ship rocked softly from the crashing waves against its body.

Percy reached inside his pocket. "It was good thinking…"

He produced the amulet.

Annabeth looked at it. Her hand flew to her throat and only now did she notice that it was still bare. She almost forgot she gave the amulet to Percy to hold on to so that the earth wouldn't suck it.

"Now we know who's behind Castellan," he sighed, reaching out and clasping the amulet around her neck.

Her breathing hitched.

He pulled away, but only slightly. His sea-green eyes stayed locked with her gray ones. They seemed to be having a deep conversation. Suddenly, he smiled, and brushed his fingertips against the side of her neck.

"I'm glad you're okay, Wise Girl," he whispered softly—his breath smelt of the salty wind outside.

"Me too," she breathed, allowing her lips to curve a bit.

Was it just her, or was he really leaning in? Her eyes slid shut without her permission, her lips parted unconsciously, sucking in a deep breath, and their lips seemed to whisper against each other—

A thunderous explosion roared around them.

They jumped apart, startled. The ship rocked to the right and Annabeth almost lost her footing if it wasn't for Percy steadying her. They looked at each other for a moment, then ran out of the cabin and towards the main deck.

Another explosion rocked the ship.

"Pe-rrcy!" Grover bleated, hanging on to the mast.

"What's happening?" Percy demanded.

"We are under attack, Captain!"

-.-

_**Note: **So, what do you think? Your opinion matters the most! Review!_

_Take care!_

_Till next time! _


	5. Chapter 4

_******Note: **Hiya, people! :D Another chapter is here! I hope you enjoy it!_

_**Special thanks: **To all who reviewed, favoured, placed this story on alert, or simply read it! I love you all! :D_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Percy Jackson, sadly! :(  
_

-.-

_**Chapter 4**_

"We're under attack, Captain!"

Percy could see that. Explosions sent cannonballs sailing through the air. He was thankful that the aim was off, or else the mast would have collapsed already. The cannonballs sailed through the air and landed with a hard _splash _against the side of the ship. The collision against the water rocked the ship off course and knocked the crew off balance.

Annabeth clung to the railings that led to the helm.

"Captain, the offending ship is gaining on us!" Leo yelled, trying to maintain stability.

"The winds are with us, brother!" Tyson yelled from where he was trimming and maintaining the sails.

"We can outrun it," Jason informed Percy, materializing beside him.

"Alright!" Percy yelled, looking around the crew. "Deposit of anything unnecessary on the ship to lighten the weight! Load the cannons with cannonballs and wait for my signal! Give me some binoculars, Travis! And Jason—" Percy looked at the blonde guy, "—do us a favor and control the winds for us!"

"Aye, aye, captain!" the crew cheered and set about doing what they were ordered.

Explosions went off, rocking the ship harder.

Annabeth accompanied Percy into the helm, where Travis handed him the wanted binoculars.

"Hey, captain, when you say deposit of unnecessary things, does Katie fall under that category?" Travis asked, grinning cheekily.

"I heard that, you insolent son of Hermes! Why don't I make you walk the plank, huh?" Katie yelled out from the other part of the ship. "You're _obviously_ unnecessary!"

Annabeth sweat-dropped.

Percy looked at Travis. "How about we deal with what's in front of us, and then, I'll consider if I should throw you _both_ into the sea?"

"Make sure to tell your dad not to let sharks eat us!" Travis said, cheerfully, turning to his duties. "I only allow myself to be eaten if I am well-cooked."

Percy chuckled, rolling his eyes.

He placed the binoculars in front of his eyes, squinting at the incoming ship. Annabeth watched as the crew threw out barrels and unnecessary junk around the ship. She briefly wondered if Poseidon was okay with it, but then, she saw that the articles seemed to dissolve into the sea completely. Yeah, the Lord of the Sea wouldn't want his kingdom polluted.

Suddenly, the ship jerked forward, gaining speed. She watched as Jason floated in the air in front of the sails, controlling the winds to blow faster. Must be a side effect being the son of Jupiter, she thought, amazed. The offending ship was falling behind slightly. From the rear of the _P.S.P_, a hatch opened, and Annabeth saw a cannon mouth exiting the small opening. Crew members were hauling bronze cannonballs.

Annabeth gaped. "Are those made of Celestial Bronze?"

"Yup," Percy confirmed, still watching the horizon. "The Hephaestus cabin can be creative. And Celestial Bronze is the only thing that works with monsters, aside of Imperial Gold, of course. I asked Tyson to reload us from the forge back at camp when we landed there."

Annabeth did remember seeing Tyson disappear into a forge.

Percy cursed in Ancient Greek.

On the ratlines, Nico di Angelo cursed as well. "They are gaining on us! And the ship is filled with Cyclopes and _empousai_."

"And led by Kampe." Percy gritted his teeth. "Full speed!"

"Jason can't go any further!" Piper shouted, concerned. "He's already abusing his power! We can't have him take us any further!"

"I'm fine!" Jason yelled from where he was suspended mid-air. The winds seemed to pick up speed and the ship moved a bit faster.

"No, Jason! You're _not_ fine!" Piper snapped, enraged.

"Dude, take it easy!" Leo yelled, concerned for his best friend.

From his position on the mast, Grover bleated, "Pe-rrcy! Birds!"

Everyone looked up. Sure enough, a whole flock of huge, black birds were advancing towards them at full speed. They paused a few feet away and quickly snapped their wings.

Demigods along the ship yelled in surprise as feathers as sharp as arrows sailed through the air and embedded themselves on the ship's wooden floors. Annabeth could see archers taking their stance and firing multiple arrows at the birds. But there were many of them.

"Jason!" Piper yelled as a huge bird dived close to his head.

"Grace, get down _now_!" Percy ordered.

Slowly, Jason lowered himself back to the deck's floor. Piper rushed forward towards him. The ship's speed decreased. On the ratlines, Nico was fighting off some of the birds with his Stygian iron. On the mast, Grover was dodging flying, razor-sharp feathers as much as possible.

"Where's green nature when you need it?" he yelled, ducking.

And then, Annabeth saw the huge form of the pegasus, Blackjack, soaring over the deck and beating down the birds with its huge black wings or using its hooves. Annabeth has never seen anything as majestic as the pegasus before.

She turned at the sound of the cannon fire. The bronze cannonball soared towards the offending ship, but splashed into the water before it could reach it. Annabeth turned to Percy.

"Do you have side hatches?" she yelled over to the beating of the bird's wings and Blackjack's neighs.

"Yeah!"

"How many?"

"Eight in total!" Percy replied, looking at her, warily.

"Let them come closer, to the side of the ship. And then, we fire at their ship's body!"

"If we allow them to come closer, they'll have the advantage of jumping to our ship!" Leo said, maintaining the wheel.

A bird from above screeched furiously as Nico stabbed it with his sword. It disintegrated into a thousand pixie dust.

"Then we fight!" Annabeth said, determinedly, making sure the amulet is tucked inside her shirt before running towards the other ratline, and climbed it, knife in hand.

Percy watched her, half-fascinated, half-concerned, before he took a deep breath, and shouted, "Close the rear hatch! Load the side cannons! Leo, stir us a little to the side! Wait until the ship is directly parallel with us!"

"Aye, aye, captain!"

It did not take long for the offending ship to be parallel with them. From her place on the ratlines, barely balanced, Annabeth could see the crew. Cyclopes were standing on the deck—it made her wonder how the hell the deck did not get crushed under their huge feet. Compared to them, Tyson seemed almost _normal_. She took a good look at the _empousai_ and did a double-take. They looked like charming women, their skin as white as snow and their eyes red but, from the waist down, they had one donkey leg and one bronze.

_It's true,_ Annabeth thought, warily, _beauty isn't everything…_

And then, she saw the captain and she shuddered. She was half-woman, half dragon with snake hair and heads of various animals growing from her human torso. She seemed to bring a cloud of fear with her, because Annabeth could see that the birds went a little quiet. She stabbed one without much restrain from the creature.

Grover gulped. "This isn't good…"

Annabeth could see Percy uncapping his pen, which transformed into his trusted sword, Riptide, and glanced at her.

She gave a small nod.

"_Fire_!"

And all Hades broke loose.

Explosions rocked the ship vigorously—Annabeth had to hold on to the ratlines as to not fall into the sea. The bronze cannonballs slammed into the offending ship hard, shattering the structure and allowing hundreds of wooden shreds to fly over. The crew on the offending ship was panicked, she could see, but then, the Kampe howled in rage.

_Empousai _leapt from their deck to the_ P.S.P's_ and almost instantly, a fight broke out between the demigods and the monsters. The Cyclopes remained on their deck, but they threw the heaviest things they could find around them. The crew was lucky their aim was off as another set of explosive cannonballs embedded itself into the offending ship, shattering the deck and the mast this time.

Annabeth made her way down the ratlines as fast as she possibly could, before joining the fight, stabbing an _empousai_ or two. Some of the archers took their attention away from the birds and aimed it at the Cyclopes from the other ship. They fired repeatedly, hitting the Cyclopes' arms or legs or chests. One even got into the Cyclopes' eye, which made the monster howl in pain!

"Bad Cyclopes!" Tyson was yelling, throwing a bucket that was beside him towards his supposedly-brothers. "Bad!"

Mrs. O'Leary was in the fight too, barking and snapping her big jaw at the _empousai_ around the ship, gnawing at one's donkey leg. The monster howled in pain and fury.

Annabeth ran to help Piper, who was covering Jason as much as she could. He seemed pale and a light green shade was beginning to set on his cheeks.

"Happens every time he overexerts himself!" Piper informed loudly, ducking from an attack. "The brave fool!"

Annabeth could swear she saw Jason smile a bit.

Stabbing the pale monster in front of her and hearing its screech as it disintegrated, Annabeth's eyes trailed unconsciously towards Percy. He was fighting the Kampe, who seemed to have decided to join the fight.

He slashed his sword at her, but she dodged and hissed, her human torso changing into a snake.

"Give me the treasure, Perseus Jackson!" she hissed, her snake hair standing to an end.

"It's _Captain_ Perseus Jackson!" Percy said, indignantly. He hated it when they did not address him properly, Annabeth knew, or when he was called by his full name. "Why doesn't Castellan come fight me for the treasure himself? Why send you in his place?"

"Master Castellan has far more important things to do than spare with you, Jackson!" Kampe hissed.

"_Captain_," Percy insisted, dodging her attack, and slashing his sword in a wide arch in front of him. She jumped away. "Being a coward, I suppose, _is_ far more important! And sorry, but we don't serve ugly beasts, so no treasure for you!"

They lunged at each other.

Rolling away from an incoming attack, Annabeth's mind formulated that those monsters did not know that she was the one holding the amulet. And now, if she could just keep it that way—

A thunderous explosion rocked the ship completely, throwing everyone on the deck—monster and demigod—off their feet. Annabeth, automatically, clutched the front of her shirt. But the explosion did not come from the offending ship or from their own.

But where—?

A sharp cry from above made everyone look up. A huge eagle soared through the wind, opening its peak wide and crying out, before it dived and pecked at the Kampe furiously, allowing Percy an escape from her attack.

She slashed furiously, but the graceful bird flapped its wings and soared away. And then, from the other side of the offending ship, came the sounds of explosion again. The Cyclopes howled as the ship lost its balance and began tipping downward. It was slowly sinking.

Annabeth couldn't believe her eyes. A third ship—not as big as the_ P.S.P_, but still huge enough—seemed to materialize out of nowhere. It fired cannonballs of pure gold and its masthead was a warrior that had his sword drawn. On the side, she could make out the word _Rome_.

The _Poseidon's Sea Pearl's_ crew gave cries of battle and charged the rest of the _empousai _on the ship's deck. Each monster howled in pain before it disintegrated. Percy had no problem disintegrating the Kampe, since she was still flustered by the sudden reinforcement.

The explosions stopped. The offending ship sank into the sea. The last remains of the monsters were swept away by the wind, the dust particles disappearing with the oxygen around. The huge eagle gave another cry and swooped down on the _Rome_.

Annabeth was sure she lost her mind when she saw the eagle transform into a young man. She blinked, wiped her eyes by the back of her hand, and looked again. Yup, he really did transform from an _eagle_ into a young _man_.

"What the—?"

She watched as Piper grimaced a bit. Jason was looking at the ship, half-warily, half-happily. Percy stepped beside Annabeth, and without thinking, her hand cupped his elbow, her eyes sweeping his form, looking for any signs of injury.

He grinned reassuringly.

"Who…?" she whispered, looking at the ship parallel to them.

"Those are Jason's family," he whispered back, glancing at the ship as well, wary. "The Romans."

-.-

A tall woman about their age stepped forward. Her black hair fell down her shoulders and her dark eyes took in the faces of the _P.S.P_ crew. It lingered a bit on Jason, but it quickly moved towards Percy.

"Percy Jackson," she addressed, nodding.

"_Captain_." Percy muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "Hello, Reyna," he said, loudly, nodding warily. "That was very thoughtful of you—helping us…"

"Don't flatter yourself, Jackson," a young man came to stand beside Reyna, his light hair swaying in the salty breeze. "If we had known it was _you_—"

"Hey, Jason, Piper!"

Annabeth watched as a young girl—she was barely fifteen—waved frantically at the two. Her curly hair bounced around her shoulders and her eyes were pure gold—startling. The young man/eagle was standing beside her, and now, Annabeth could see that he was a big guy with a baby face—he had features of a Chinese. His dark hair was ruffled with the wind.

Piper smiled, waving back. "Hello, Hazel, Frank."

Jason grinned at the two.

"What about me?" Leo pouted coming to stand beside the latter. "Don't I get a hello as well?"

"Hello, Leo," Hazel's eyes twinkled. "You'll need to work on the ship big time, Repair boy. It doesn't look so good."

And sure enough, the ship's body was in a real bad shape from the attack. One of the sails was torn into shreds; the ship's body had multiple holes in it, not big enough to sink the ship, though, thankfully. The mast had multiple scratched around the middle, and Annabeth could see that the starboard was almost completely eliminated. Blackjack stood in the middle of it, whinnying.

The light haired guy beside Reyna shot Hazel a dirty look.

Annabeth leaned against Percy, whispering, "Who's the scarecrow?"

He repressed his smile at her description. "That's Octavian. You might want to hold on to your stuffed pandas—he likes to slaughter them."

Annabeth blinked. "Why?"

"To read the auguries, of course," he said. "He's kind of like an oracle—"

"—with a bad habit to slaughter pandas," she nodded.

Again, Percy resisted the urge to laugh.

"Psh!" Leo, meanwhile, was waving his hand, dismissively. "This little hindrance? It's nothing…"

"I can't believe we helped the _graecus_," Octavian murmured, throwing the ship a disgusting look.

Reyna ignored him and looked back at Percy. "Is it true what we heard? You found the missing piece?"

"Yes." He nodded, gesturing towards Annabeth beside him. "Its founder: Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."

Annabeth wasn't sure if she imagined the disappointment in Reyna's eyes, but the girl nodded anyway, before her eyes finally settled completely at Jason. Piper, unconsciously, stiffened.

"Are you enjoying your stay aboard the _graecus_ ship, Jason?" she asked, coolly.

"Immensely." He replied.

Annabeth could swear she heard Nico and Grover cough something that sounded suspiciously like _Piper_ in the background. No one seemed to notice.

"That's a shame," Reyna replied, honestly disappointed. "We could need your help."

Jason scratched the back of his head.

After a bit more of chitchatting and Octavian throwing disgusted looks, Reyna excused her ship: they still had something to do. Hazel and Frank weren't all too set on leaving just yet—Hazel wanted to stay a bit with Jason—but they followed the captain's orders.

"Come visit us soon, Percy!" one of the Roman girls aboard giggled, waving at him. Annabeth's hand clenched.

She felt Percy wince.

Shocked, she realized that her hand was still on his elbow and that she was squeezing it. Blushing furiously, she let go as if scalded.

From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Percy smile.

-.-

Two weeks passed.

After their encounter with the Romans, Percy has asked the members of the Hephaestus cabin to work on the damage that they could repair on the ship. Leo, of course, led this quest. Thankfully, they had extra sails on the ship and they replaced the shredded one. After that Percy turned to Annabeth and asked: "Where to?"

Although she had no idea where, the amulet had pulsed around her neck, and the answer tumbled from her lips automatically: "Northeast."

So, they set sail.

It was now dark and everyone was sleeping except for Mrs. O'Leary and Blackjack and two other demigods. The hellhound and the pegasus watched the two demigods have a friendly spar as a sword clashed against the knife and footwork was established.

"Keep your feet planted firmly to the ground," Percy instructed, pushing his sword against her knife.

Annabeth exhaled loudly, trying with all her might to keep her feet steady. She had to admit: This son of Poseidon was strong. But she was a strategist. Taking his instruction, she twisted her wrist, spun under his arm, and brought herself flesh against his back, her knife inches away from his throat.

Mrs. O'Leary barked, announcing the obvious winner.

Percy grinned. "Good work, Wise Girl."

The moonlight shined on the deck, and turning around, he saw her smirk, proud of herself. Internally, he was proud of her as well. In just two weeks, she had mastered the basics—basics that took most demigods at least a month to master and remember.

He motioned her to sit down as he went over to where Mrs. O'Leary and Blackjack rested, looking at him.

_That_ _was some moves, boss_, Blackjack said. _But she got you good, eh?_

Percy sent him a mock-angered glare as he snatched two cokes from beside him and made his way back to Annabeth. She was looking up at the sky. Tonight, it was filled with stars.

"Here," he offered her a coke.

"Thanks. Blue, I suppose?" she smirked at him.

He laughed. "Guilty as charged."

She had discovered his love for blue food when she saw him eat blue eggs one morning. He had explained that his mother back home loved challenges and he challenged her to make blue eggs one day in his younger years. Ever since then, it stuck as a tradition.

_And blue coke wasn't so bad_, Annabeth reflected, taking a sip.

She looked at him. "I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"Reyna seemed disappointed when you told her that I found the amulet," she recalled. It has been a question she wanted to ask—along with a thousand others. "Why?"

"I guess they were hoping they would find the amulet and the founder would be a Roman," Percy said, thoughtfully. "Both camps have been searching for it, you know. Our side was lucky this time."

_Lucky…_

"Luck is a fickle."

"True, true," Percy agreed, taking a huge sip. "But I don't complain when it decides to smile at me. We _are_ demigods, after all."

Annabeth offered a smile, and rested her head back against the bronze railing. Her eyes trailed all over the ship, and blinked when they landed on the starboard. It seems she and Percy weren't the only demigods awake.

She watched them closely.

Percy noticed and looked up as well. "Hmmm…"

"Are they dating?" Annabeth asked. She had been curious, but was never comfortable asking them personally. Asking Percy was much easier.

"Not that I know of," he answered, turning back to his coke. "However, they better start soon if they aren't. They are driving everyone nuts with the obvious hinting and looks…" he rolled his eyes.

"Is that why he chose to join you?"

"I don't know for sure, but it seems like it."

"Reyna seemed disappointed."

"Well, the Romans have to praetors. Jason was one. But well, as you can see—" he waved his hand to the direction of where Jason and Piper were standing, talking to each other, "—Aphrodite knows how to charm."

"I have always wondered why an Aphrodite kid would actually be willing to travel on a ship." Annabeth wondered.

"Piper isn't like most Aphrodite's kids, as you have seen, I bet," Percy grinned. "You should meet Drew. Now, _she_ is an Aphrodite kid through and through."

_No_, Annabeth thought, _no, Piper is an Aphrodite kid through and through. She's powerful in her own way. _

A wave splashed against the side of the ship, jolting Annabeth out of her thoughts. She turned around and looked down at the dark waters, watching the foam form around the ship.

Percy eyed her intently. "What are you thinking about?"

"I have never been fond of the sea," she replied, quietly. "I mean, I loved going to the beach, sure, but I was never eager to sail, or to swim, or anything. I have been so blind…"

He was quiet.

She stared at his eyes—dark sea-green, so depthless, so warm…

"I love it now."

Percy smiled slowly. "It loves you as well."

-.-

"What do you think they are talking about?"

Not taking her eyes off the horizon, Piper smiled. "I don't know. It could be anything."

"It seems pretty serious," Jason squinted as discreetly as he could, trying not to draw Percy's and Annabeth's attention and blow that he was looking at them.

"Let them be, Jace," Piper said, shaking her head.

"But I want to win the bet," Jason said, looking at her mischievously. "Nico and the Stoll brothers are betting 20 drachmas they'll kiss any time this week."

_Like they are betting on us?_ Piper thought, sarcastically, remembering a conversation she overheard between Katie, Nico, and the Stoll brothers.

"Grover says it won't happen in public," Jason continued, looking thoughtful. "Tyson _wants_ it to happen." He smirked. "Leo is full on betting 40 drachmas."

"You guys are insane and I agree with Grover. If it happens, it'll happen away from your prying eyes."

"Don't tell me you aren't waiting for it!" Jason said, astonished.

"I am waiting for it," Piper replied. _And for ours as well_, she thought, wistfully. "But I don't want to _see_ it when it happens."

"Guess you're right. All the tension might explode into something that will scar me forever." He mock-shuddered.

Piper laughed.

They turned to watch the over-lapping waves, the silence peaceful and quiet. She took a deep breath, watching the moon's reflection rippling on the depthless water.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

He snuck a glance at her.

"Yes. It is."

-.-

Three days later, the _Poseidon's Sea Pearl's _crew found themselves docking on a small port. Annabeth took the small village in, watching as people ran about their daily lives. Men greeted each other as they opened their small shops for the day, while women hurried along, towing their children behind them to get them to school on time.

"Is this where the Gates are?" Nico asked, looking around.

Annabeth did not understand. The amulet was pulsing—it led them here. But why? For what purpose?

"I…don't think so," she said when Percy looked at her. "But it's pulsing like crazy. And it's kind of heavy." She reached around and unlatched the chain, curling her fingers around the circular figure.

"Well, something is here," Percy murmured, looking around. "Alright! We'll explore. We need some food supplies and ropes anyway. Nico, Grover, Jason, Piper, Annabeth, you're coming along. The rest stay at the ship. Leo, please try and work out that hole on the lower deck."

"Aye," Leo grinned.

"Be careful, brother," Tyson said, looking worried.

"We'll be okay, big guy," Percy grinned, before the six of them hopped down from the ship and on the wooden platform. They took three steps forward and was stopped by a stocky, small man glaring up at them.

"Uh, good morning…?" Grover tried, confused.

"Three bronze coins for tying and keeping the ship on the port for one hour!" he shrilled, glaring at them. "But I have to give you to the security anyway, pirates!"

Nico groaned. "We are not pirates! We are simply civilized sailors!"

"Civilized sailors, eh? What do you explain that?" and the man pointed behind them.

A pirate flag snapped at the top of the mast; its skull grinning with the two white bones intersecting at the bottom. Piper and Annabeth winced as Percy shouted out: "Travis! Conner!"

"Aye, captain?" the Stoll brother's heads poked around the masthead, grinning.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Decoration, of course!" Travis replied, eyes twinkling.

"Do you like it?" Conner grinned.

"_No_! Get it down _now_!"

"Eh, you're no fun!" they complained, but did as they were told. They heard Leo complaining as well.

The stocky man glared at the six again. Percy offered a sheepish smile. "Three bronze coins, eh? Well, there you go." He handed the man what he asked for.

"An hour," he reminded, before he limped away.

The six demigods looked at each other, nodded, and then walked forward. The small village was lively and full of life and color. People greeted each other as old friends—even if they seemed to be complete strangers. The birds nestled around in the branches of the trees that lined the roads. The sun rays were warm. Life in this village seemed perfect.

What was in this village that was important? Annabeth wondered, looking around at the simple people. Nothing could be of harm here. No one seemed to be suspicious.

A chill ran down her spine, and she looked around.

She could have sworn—

"Are you okay?" Piper asked.

"I'm fine," Annabeth answered, shaking her head. She moved towards Percy, and leaned up to whisper in his ear, "I'll go find some food supplies."

He looked at her, confused. "I'll go with you."

"Nah. Keep searching for whatever it is the amulet wanted us to find." Annabeth said, looking around. "Keep an eye on anything out of the norm."

"Just about everything, then," Nico grumbled.

Grover bleated in agreement.

Percy was still frowning. "Are you sure you want to go alone?"

"Oh, don't worry, Perce." Piper said, slinging an arm around Annabeth's shoulder. "I'll go with her. Besides, we both have our knives. We should be fine."

"Piper—" Annabeth began, but the former had already towed her away, leaving the four guys frowning.

-.-

"You can talk freely now," Piper said as they stopped in front of an antique shop. She looked interestedly at one of the golden vases, before walking away with Annabeth again.

Annabeth scowled. "There is nothing to talk about. You should—"

"I am not going back," Piper said, shortly. "You sensed something, didn't you? Something about this village."

Annabeth sighed. "It's just—the village seems so surreal, you know. The people are cheerful, they greet each other as old friends, birds are singing. This village is close to the Gates, I am sure." The daughter of Athena looked around. "And if the Gates sprout monsters—untamed monsters…"

"They should have attacked here," Piper continued, looking around as well. "I see your point. But maybe, the village got lucky…"

_Lucky…_

They passed a small booth where an old woman sat wrapped up in multiple shawls and rags. She looked up at them, smiling toothlessly.

"Oh, such beautiful young ladies," she marveled. "Come, dears, I have just the thing for youthful ladies such as yourselves."

Piper and Annabeth shared a wary look, but both didn't have the heart to disappoint the old woman, especially when she looked so eager.

She searched the bag sitting beside her thoroughly, mumbling every now and then to herself. Finally, with a cry of victory, she extracted a small vile filled with rosy liquid. Annabeth and Piper leaned forward, mesmerized by the soft hue of the liquid.

"What is it?" Piper asked, curious.

"It's a perfume," the old lady cackled, unscrewing the lid. "It's the sweetest perfume in the world, my dear. Just a small dap behind the ears, and any man shall fall to his knees for you…"

She extended the vile forward.

"Go on. Take a whiff. Tell me what you think."

Something in the back of Annabeth's mind was going on and off alarmingly. But she was curious. The sweetest perfume which could bring any man to his knees…

Piper took a whiff, exhaled contently, and passed it to Annabeth.

It really was the sweetest smell and she loved it. It was the strangest combination of roses and orchids, mixed together with something sharp. She wasn't sure what it was though, but she found herself sighing in content as well.

She smiled, almost drunkenly, at the old woman.

"This is heavenly, ma'am. Where did you get it?"

"Oh, my dear, I made it myself." The old woman cackled, watching them with amusement. "It almost makes you want to go to sleep, doesn't it?"

_To his knees…_

Her vision swam. She saw Piper sway and drop to the rough ground. Annabeth's knees buckled and, before the darkness overtook her, one thought ran in her mind…

_Luck is a fickle…_

_-.-_

_**Note: **I just love Frank and Hazel! They are so cute! Gah! Not to mention, Jason and Piper! Those two are my second and third best couples after Percy and Annabeth, of course! No one can beat the son of Poseidon and daughter of Athena combo! :D  
_

_Anyway, what do you think? Your opinion matters the most! Please review..._

_Till next time_

_Take care..._


	6. Chapter 5

****_**Note: **I just want to apologize before hand if the fighting scenes are lame! I am actually half-asleep and getting drowsier by the minute! But I hope you like the extra surprise I have added to this chapter! :D I hope you do!_

_**Disclaimer: **As usual, I do not own Percy Jackson, sadly! And can't wait for the Mark of Athena!  
_

_-.-_

_**Chapter 5**_

"This is ridiculous," Nico di Angelo grumbled.

The four demigods stopped in front of a huge tree that grew out of the ground in an unnatural angle, its branches thin and wrinkled. In the whole village, it was the only tree that wasn't alive and sprouted evergreen leaves.

Grover touched the rough bark, frowning.

"Nothing seems to be off importance," Nico continued, glaring around. "And I don't like those people. They are too cheerful for my taste."

"Not everyone has to be in a sour mood, Nico," Jason said, smiling lightly at his cousin.

"Maybe we're missing something," Percy said, waving back to an old couple who smiled at him.

"Guys, something is not right," Grover spoke, backing away from the tree.

The three cousins looked at the satyr. "What do you mean?" the son of Hades asked, frowning.

"There is no…_nature_ around here…"

Jason stared. Nico raised an eyebrow. Percy scratched the back of his head, looking around weirdly. "G-man, the place is full of green—"

Just as the word left his mouth, something weird happened. In place of the green grass, sickly yellow shrubs grew out. The leaves fell off the trees in a heap, leaving the branches bare and skeleton-like. Booths and houses collapsed all at once—the place wasn't sunny and lively anymore. It was haunted and lonely—cold. The people vanished into air, before they reformed again, clouds of smoke swirling around them.

"_Venti_," Jason said, drawing his Imperial Gold sword.

"Great! That's what we needed!" Percy rolled his eyes, drawing Riptide.

The storm spirits seemed to grin at the three demigods and the satyr.

"Guys, we have visitors," Grover said, backing away slowly from the huge, old tree. From the base, small, green snakes slithered towards the sickly shrubs. One of the snakes seemed to sigh and fire erupted from its mouth.

Grover jumped back.

Nico was already slashing some _venti_ with his Stygian iron. "To the ship, Captain?"

"But Piper and Annabeth are still out there!" Jason objected, stabbing one snake with his golden sword. It gave a faint wail before it disintegrated into the soil.

Now that there weren't any houses or large, green trees to obstruct their view, the land seemed infinite. Percy gritted his teeth, slashing a _ventus_ away and kept an eye out for the two girls. There was no sign of them.

The basilisks and the _venti_ were closing in now. They were outnumbered and they needed some help.

"To the ship," he agreed reluctantly, ignoring Jason's incredulous look.

They ran. The _venti_ soared into the sky and the basilisk slithered after them. Every now and then, a storm spirit would descend down on them or the small snakes would come too close. A Celestial Bronze, Imperial Gold, or Stygian iron would be the last thing they saw before they disintegrated. In the distance, Percy could see the ship. He saw Tyson look up and his one brown eye widened.

He turned around and said something. Blackjack flapped his wings and took off into the sky as some of the demigods dismounted the ship. Blackjack flattened down and Percy swung himself on the pegasus' back.

_They don't give us a minute to breath, do they, boss?_ Blackjack said, disgusted.

"Yeah, I know." Percy slashed his sword towards an incoming _ventus_ as Blackjack whinnied and fell back a bit.

On the ground, Percy could see demigods stabbing small snakes and dodging their breaths of fire. In the sky, he and Jason were fending off the _venti_.

_Boss, be careful. Don't wanna lose what's_ _in your pocket_, Blackjack said as he flew around the _venti_ and allowed Percy to slash a wide arch through the storm spirits.

"What's in my pocket…?" Percy questioned confused, before his hand reached inside his pocket and closed around a cold figure.

His eyes widened.

-.-

Her eyes widened.

Annabeth wasn't sure exactly where she was, but she knew three things.

One: The room was completely white and, apparently, had no doors or windows.

Two: It was freezing.

Three: Piper was unconscious beside her.

Annabeth sat up on her knees and leaned forward, shaking Piper by the shoulder. "Piper. Hey, Piper, wake up."

"Five more minutes, Dad," she mumbled, turning away from Annabeth. "Just five more…"

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Piper, I am not your dad. Now, wake up." she wished she had the brunette's ability to charm speak. Oh well, she'll just have to stick with shaking.

"Piper, _come on_!"

The girl moaned and blinked her ever-changing eyes open. She sat up, holding her head. "Annabeth…? What happened?"

"I think we were drugged by that old woman." The daughter of Athena answered, standing up and helping the daughter of Aphrodite to her feet. "Damn. I should have known it was a trick."

Piper wrapped her arms around herself, looking around the snow white room. "It's freezing!"

Annabeth walked around the room, her hand touching the smooth white walls. They were freezing cold as well, but she had to find some way out of here. There must be a door or a window somewhere in here.

"Don't try, daughter of Athena. It's of no use."

Annabeth and Piper instinctively drew out their knives as the unnaturally pale woman seemed to materialize out of snow. Her black hair was thick and her brown eyes were cold and emotionless. She smiled at the daughter of Athena coldly.

"I would have expected a fight from you, but I guess I was pretty persuasive, wasn't I?"

"Evidently…" Annabeth replied, bitterly. "Who are you, again, exactly?"

"I am Khione, goddess of winter."

"Explains the freezing temperature." Piper murmured.

"And you drugged us because…?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

Khione moved forward, her white dress swaying around her feet. She was still smiling coldly. "Give me the amulet."

Annabeth grinned. "You attacked a bit too late. The amulet is not with me anymore."

The pale goddess narrowed her eyes. "You lie."

Annabeth suddenly found herself pinned to the wall. Her knife clattered into the frozen floor. Piper was struggling as well—she was pinned to the side, her eyes wide as she watched Khione advancing towards Annabeth.

The goddess reached her hand out and touched the side of Annabeth's neck. Annabeth gasped. Khione's hand was freezing, and yet, she felt like the frost just burned her skin completely. The pale hand left a trail of hot and cold sensation from the side of her neck to the hollow of her throat.

Khione's beautiful face twisted in anger. "Where is it?"

"Somewhere safe." Annabeth glared back.

The winter goddess withdrew her hand and Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief. However, she quickly found herself slammed into the floor as Khione seemed to unfreeze her from her position on the wall.

"Gaea won't be pleased," Khione was muttering under her breath, looking at Annabeth with disgust. "Luke will be disappointed."

And with a swirl of snow, she vanished.

Piper quickly helped Annabeth up, wincing at the burn marks left on her neck. "That doesn't look so good."

"It feels worse, believe me," the latter murmured, picking up her knife. "We have to get out of here."

The two friends set out touching the walls around the room, slowly and carefully. Their hands eventually grew numb from touching the frozen walls for so long and they slumped against each other in the middle of the room, trying to get away from the walls as much as possible, rubbing their hands together desperately.

"No door. No windows. No nothing." Piper said bitterly, looking around. "How in Hades did she get us in here?"

Annabeth's mind was working rapidly. Something. Something in here should be a door. A window. Something! There was no way the room was completely sealed. A strand of hair blew against her cheek, and Annabeth brushed it irritably before she went motionless.

There it was again.

A cool current swept the strand out of its place and blew it against her cheek again. Annabeth looked down, and her eyes widened in excitement. She pushed herself to her knees.

"Piper, get up."

The daughter of Aphrodite was confused but complied anyway. Annabeth felt the floor for a few minutes, before her fingers touched a small dent. She grinned and with one tug, a trap door opened wide.

Piper's eyes grew in excitement. "Annabeth, you're a genius."

"Daughter of Athena at your service," the blonde answered, proudly, before the two girls jumped through the door and closed it behind them, leaving the frozen room empty.

-.-

Nico stabbed the one of the last two remaining Basilisks as Tyson crushed the other with a huge rock. In the sky, Percy and Jason vaporized the remaining _ventus_. Jason lowered himself while Blackjack whinnied and flapped his wings.

"We have to find the girls!" Percy said, patting Blackjack's neck soothingly. "I'll look around."

"We'll look around from ground level," Grover informed.

Blackjack took off into the increasingly darkening sky as Percy's eyes took in the whole destroyed village from the sky. Why? Why in Hades had he allowed Annabeth and Piper to wander around alone in this land? He should have gone with them. Or sent Grover or Nico with them. Or _something_!

Now, who knew where they were? He hoped no harm came to them. He wasn't sure he would forgive himself if anything happened to them. Especially Annabeth. His hand, automatically, tightening around the amulet in his pocket. He guessed she had slipped it in when she leaned up to whisper in his ear that she was going to get some food supplies.

He had been so distracted by her lemony scent that he hadn't realized.

_Yo, boss, look up!_

Percy's eyes widened in awe as the snow white fortress came into view. A huge, gray cloud was on top of it, hailing snow rapidly. All around the huge wall, land was covered in a thick layer of white. There was no sign of vegetation or greenery.

"What is that?"

-.-

The whole place was freezing. Annabeth shivered. She shouldn't have expected anything less from the goddess of winter. It made her wish Leo was with them—he could have made fire appear at the palm of his hand and melted their way through the thick, snow walls.

Alas, Leo was not there. Annabeth and Piper had to vend for themselves.

The latter jumped away from a huge pile of snow, shivering uncontrollably. "W-W-Where is the damn exit?" she stuttered, her teeth clattering.

"I-I-I d-don't know…" Annabeth replied, rubbing her arms furiously.

The two girls continued their way through the freezing hallway when they both paused.

_Thud. Thud._

Annabeth drew her knife. Piper mimicked her motion, her ever-changing-color eyes looking around intently.

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

"M-M-Monster?" Annabeth stuttered.

Piper shook her head and motioned forward. Both girls curved around the corner and came face to face with an iron door. The thudding was coming through it, loudly.

_Thud. Thud._

Piper looked at Annabeth. The latter nodded.

Although the metal knob was ice cold, Piper managed to twist it without much resistance. The door swung open and the two demigods took their battle stance, only to pause. Piper gasped.

"Oh gods!"

The daughter of Aphrodite rushed forward and kneeled beside a dark haired girl. "Silena!"

The girl blinked her bright blue eyes open. Her lips were already turning blue from the cold temperature but she managed a smile. "Hello, sis. You found us."

It was then that Annabeth realized that there were three more people in the room. Two boys and one girl. They all looked pale, weak, and blue. They stared at the two arrivals as if they couldn't believe they were actually here.

"Great, Prissy is here." A huge girl with brown hair rolled her eyes, cursing rapidly in Ancient Greek. She glared at Piper. "Chiron sent you, didn't he?"

"Clarisse," Piper said, softly, helping Silena to her feet and went to help a big guy with a scowl on his face. Annabeth helped the last guy to his feet. He was short and his body was shaking uncontrollably.

"We stumbled here by chance," Piper shot Annabeth a sideway glance. "We both were drugged and taken. We had no idea that you were here. However, Chiron did say that you took the _Wild Boar_ and sailed…"

"Gone." Clarisse said bitterly, reluctantly allowing Annabeth to help her to her feet. Once she was sure she was steady, Clarisse pulled away. "That snow princess destroyed it completely."

Piper sighed. "Well, come on. We'll find our way out and go back to the _Poseidon's Sea Pearl_. The others must be worried sick already."

"I am not going to sail with Prissy," Clarisse said, stubbornly, although her teeth were chattering. "That little no good son of Poseidon…"

"Why not?" Annabeth asked, confused.

Piper shot her a look that clearly stated: _Long history_.

But no matter how much Clarisse protested, she followed them out of the iron door. Annabeth was introduced to the new demigods. Silena Beauguard, daughter of Aphrodite. Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus. Michael Yew, son of Apollo. And Clarisse la Rue, daughter of Ares.

"So you are the pretty girl who found the amulet, eh?" Clarisse said, eyeing Annabeth up and down. "And you got yourself caught? You do know that Castellan is looking for the amulet, princess, don't you?"

"It's not with me," Annabeth answered.

Clarisse raised an eyebrow.

"Why did you set sail, Clarisse?" Piper asked as they rounded a corner. In the back of her mind, she knew that the place wasn't supposed to be this quiet—something was wrong.

"To find the Sacred Book," Silena answered, faintly. She leaned into Beckendorf. "It showed the way to seal the Gates for good."

Piper stopped. "What? There is a book to explain how to seal it? Where is it?"

"Gone with the _Wild Boar_," Michael murmured, rubbing his arms furiously. "Everyone else too…" his voice choked.

"But we know what is the procedure," Silena soothed, seeing the panicked expression on Piper's face.

"How in Hades did you know a book existed in the first place?"

"Chris told me," Clarisse muttered, watching her boots shuffle one step after another now. "He Iris-messaged me and told me where he hid it. He didn't like what Castellan was doing. Whoever is controlling him is not very friendly."

"Gaea." Annabeth informed.

Piper bit her lip, and said, gently, "Clarisse, Will found Chris on the borders of camp a few weeks ago, and—"

"Is he okay?" Clarisse cut her off, sharply.

"Well, he's not doing very well, but Mr. D should fix him up—"

"What do you mean 'he's not doing very well', McLean?"

"He has been a bit delirious," Piper said. "But I am pretty sure he's okay now. I mean, you know Mr. D and insanity is just a package that comes together."

Clarisse did not answer.

Annabeth felt her heart go out for her. Chris surely meant something to her. And she could see it now. Chris Rodriguez has been punished for the crime he committed—taking that book away and hiding it somewhere for the other demigods to find it. Gaea wasn't the forgiving type.

Not long in their walk through the frozen hallways, they found another set of doors. Something told Annabeth that this was the exit, but throughout their wandering, they haven't encountered a single threat. Was it really that easy?

_Nothing is this easy in a demigod's life, _Annabeth reminded herself, gripping her dagger. _Get ready for anything…_

It seemed Piper was having the same thoughts for she unsheathed her dagger and inched slowly towards the doors.

As the doors swung outwards, a cool gust of air swept by, making them all shiver. And right in front of the doors, more than three dozens of _venti_ were waiting for them.

-.-

Percy dismounted Blackjack and ordered the horse to go back to the ship and wait for him there. He could see the _venti_ at the front door, waiting for something. Were the girls in there? Or were the storm spirits waiting for him?

He uncapped Riptide and made his way slowly through the snow covering the perimeter; he shivered as a cold current blazed around him. Who in Hades lived here?

He saw the doors open and from it came Annabeth and Piper along with four other demigods that he recognized. The _venti_ caught sight of them and began to attack. Annabeth and Piper, though, already had their daggers out; they slashed at the storm spirits.

Percy quickened his steps.

"We'll distract. You'll run." Annabeth called over the wind, slashing a storm spirit with her knife.

Clarisse growled. "No. I'll fight!"

"With _what_?" Annabeth asked, ducking as a _ventus_ slashed her way. "You don't have weapons. And you're in no condition to fight!"

"Listen here, Princess—"

"Clarisse, _run_!" Piper commanded, accidently using her charmspeak. Annabeth felt the urge to run, but she shook her head. "_Now_!"

Against her will, Clarisse la Rue led the other three demigods away with her. Piper ducked before she slashed the _ventus_ in half.

"Any ideas?" she asked.

Annabeth stabbed, and the storm spirit seemed to evaporate for a second. "Nothing at the moment."

"How about this plan, then?" a deep voice asked and a weight rested on Annabeth's back. "Running back to the ship?"

She whirled around and swung her knife. It clashed with a bronze sword, and her gray eyes locked with sparkling, green ones.

"Percy!"

"Hello, Annabeth. This will be the last time you two will be allowed to wander alone." He spun around her, stabbing a storm spirit that was about to attack her unprotected back.

"Now, both of you, to the ship. Now."

"Aye, aye, captain…" they both said reluctantly,

Dodging the remaining dozen of _venti_, the three demigods sprinted across the open land. The _venti_ gave chase.

"This is ridiculous!" Annabeth called over the cold wind. "You're leading them right towards the ship. How is that in our advantage?"

The _venti_ were above them now, grinning leeringly as they swooped down on them. Only their sword and daggers protected them from their cloudy hands.

The ship was in their view now and Percy shouted, "_Raise the anchor. Open the sails! Set sail!_"

"Aye, aye, captain!" the Stoll brothers shouted back, before turning around and ordering everyone to do just that. A ladder was thrown from the side of the ship and Percy made Piper and Annabeth climb first. He climbed after them, slashing at a _ventus_ that was too close.

Just as his feet hit the wooden floor of the deck, Katie exclaimed, "They are on the sails!"

Sure enough, the _venti_ were on the sails, apparently trying to untie them. Demigods scrambled towards the ratlines, climbing them as fast as they could. Jason shot up into the open air.

"Jason!" Piper exclaimed.

Jason Grace ignored her, and taking a deep breath, willed the winds to yield into his command. He pushed the wind towards the _venti_. The storm spirits fell back, thrown off guard by the sudden gust of wind. However, it didn't take them long to fight back.

Jason grunted, but kept his concentration on pushing the _venti_ as far away from the ship as possible. The _venti_ were falling back now, their energy draining, and Jason floated forward until his body was levitating over the blue sea.

Piper leaned against the rail, shouting at him, "That's enough, Jason. They're off the ship. Don't abuse your powers!"

But Jason wasn't satisfied yet. His arms were shaking, but he willed the wind to become stronger and the _venti_ were pushed away with such force that they scattered and their swirling clouds of a body vaporized into invisible air.

The crew on the ship watched the whole scene, shuddering at the roar the _venti_ let out as they disappeared. They watched as Jason's body abruptly went limp and he was free-falling towards the wide, open ocean rapidly.

"_Jason_!"

Over Piper's scream, Percy yelled, "Blackjack!"

The black pegasus streaked through the sky quickly, caught the falling demigod on his back, and flapped his wings back towards the ship. Blackjack landed on the starboard and the crew rushed over—Leo in the lead.

"Jason! Man, get a hold of yourself!" he yelled, helping the dizzy blonde guy into his feet.

Jason blinked rapidly.

"Man, that was reckless. You know you can't abuse your power too much!" Leo admonished his best friend, waving a screwdriver around his face. "And besides, if something happened to you, I can't fix organic life forms like you!"

Jason gave a small grin. "I wouldn't allow you to fix me, Valdez. You're too weird."

"You'll eat those words one day, Grace, when—"

"Jason Grace!"

Leo quickly backed away from his best friend, leaving the frozen son of Jupiter staring in horror at the incoming, _enraged_ daughter of Aphrodite.

_Oh gods, help me_, he thought, bracing himself for the punch that he was surely going to get.

"You stupid, idiotic—"

"Piper, I—"

"Shut _up_!"

She reached out, cupped his face in her hands, pulled him down to her level, and kissed him.

Jason's brain melted.

The whole ship went silent. Some swore even the waves stopped moving. Nobody spoke as the daughter of Aphrodite kissed the son of Jupiter like there was no tomorrow.

When Jason finally realized what was happening, his arms circled around her waist, pulling her closer. Gods, hadn't he waited for this for so long? Her lips tasted salty and he pulled away slowly, eyes flooding in concern.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did I hurt—"

"You idiot," she whispered, another tear trailing down her cheek. She kissed him again.

The crew exploded.

"Ha! _She_ did it! Pay up, dude!" Travis grinned, looking at his brother.

"Aww! There goes the last amount!"

"You owe me 10 drachmas!"

"Completely in public! I told you! Now, my twenty, please!"

"This is so unfair! It should have been him!"

Annabeth looked around, bewildered. Everyone was betting on when those two would kiss? Why didn't anyone tell her?

Even Mrs. O'Leary seemed in on the bet, barking mischievously as Percy—_Percy_—took 5 drachmas out of a distraught Grover, who was groaning and counting the last of his money.

Percy saw Annabeth watching him with an open mouth, and winked at her.

Leo was grinning, counting his winnings loudly. "Don't I know my best friends or _what_, people?" he screamed happily, walking back to the helm.

Tyson sniffled. "But it's always the guy who has to kiss the girl." He turned to Percy, his big eye tearful. "That's what they said, brother! That's what they said!"

"I know, big guy. You should seriously stop watching those soap operas." Percy patted his shoulder.

Annabeth turned away, hiding her smile.

Meanwhile, Jason and Piper were blushing deep red, staring at their friends.

"They were betting on us?" he asked, awed.

Piper groaned, burying her face on his shoulder. "Gods, this is so embarrassing."

Jason looked down at her for a long moment.

And then, he grinned: _But so worth it…_

-.-

The sun has set. The night was cool. The ship was completely silent—only the sound of the waves crashing against its body was heard. Annabeth sat on her bed in her cabin, sketching a building on the paper that lay on her bent knees. The Stoll brothers have given her the papers and the pencil—she was grateful that Nico remembered to ask them to bring some with them.

The candle, that was the only light source, flicked twice as the door opened silently.

She looked up, and gave a smile. "Hey, Seaweed Brain."

Percy smiled. He sat down and moved backwards until his back collided with the wall and he was able to bend his knees as well. He watched her sketch for a few minutes, amazed, before he looked up at her.

"You never told me you designed buildings."

"It kind of slipped my mind with everything else, I guess," she shrugged. "But one day, I want to be an architect and build something permanent."

Percy watched her draw for a long time, before she looked up at him and asked, "How's Clarisse and the others?"

"Warmed up and in bed," he confirmed, placing his hand in his pocket. "Here, Wise Girl, you dropped this into my pocket."

She grinned, taking the amulet from him. "Thanks for keeping it safe." She slipped it around her neck, and his eyes caught the red burn mark on her skin.

His hand shot up and caressed the area. Annabeth shivered.

"What happened?" he whispered, softly.

She told him about Khione's burning frost. He was running the back of his hand softly against the burn now and Annabeth was having a hard time breathing. Why was he so close? Why did he have to smell so tantalizingly, like the sea? And oh, his breath was so warm—

Annabeth's heart jolted as a warm, slightly wet skin met the burn mark on her neck. Blushing a storm, she turned her head towards Percy, who was blushing as well, but kept his eyes locked on hers. Had he actually…_kissed_ _her_ _neck_?

"Percy…" she breathed.

His lips tugged into a small smile; and, leaning forward, he brushed a kiss against her cheek. Again, she blushed.

"Good night, Annabeth."

It was long after he had walked out of the door and closed it behind him that Annabeth found the strength to move. Her fingertips touched the spot where he kissed her neck, and then, moved to touch her cheek.

She smiled.

-.-

Luke Castellan paced the length of the room, his blue eyes trained intently at the floor. He had no idea where Jackson's ship was. No idea if Annabeth Chase still had the amulet. No idea if they had succeeded into finding the Gates.

_And why wasn't anyone telling him_ _what was going on?_

He slammed his fist against the wall, frustrated.

He wanted to know.

"Luke," Ethan Nakamura said, one eye trained on the blonde's moves. "The girls escaped from Khione's castle. But they are still going towards the Gates."

"Has the book been restored?"

"No." Ethan deadpanned. "But it has been destroyed."

"Does that mean that Jackson won't know how to close the Gates?" Luke asked.

"It should be."

Luke wasn't so sure. Jackson always found a way to turn the tables in his favor. He doubted this time will be any different.

"However, Khione said that the girl did not have the amulet," Ethan scowled. "She must have handed it over to someone or something happened to it."

"No." Luke said. "The amulet is safe. Jackson won't dare give it up for anything. They are clever—cleverer than what she thought."

"So, what do we do?"

"We wait them out."

-.-

_**Note: **There you go! Next chapter will be up shortly, I hope... But anyway, tell me what you think, ne? Your opinion matters the most, as usual! :D_

_Till next time..._

_Take care!_


	7. Chapter 6

_**Note: **Sorry, sorry, sorry! :( This chapter has been done since forever and was sitting inside its file bored out of its mind! Sorry! But I traveled and then the internet connection was down and...well, me is sorry! But here it is! I hope you enjoy it!_

_**Disclaimer: ** I do not own Percy Jackson! If I did, Travis and Conner would be my brothers already! ;)  
_

__-.-

_**Chapter 6**_

Captain Percy Jackson looked out into the infinite blue ocean. The stars sparkly reflection could be seen on the rippled water. The moon was a crescent tonight. He was glad that there wasn't any kind of storm coming their way—that would have been a disaster. Nevertheless, he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad is about to happen.

It has been two days since they found the small village and Piper and Annabeth found Clarisse and her remaining crew. Two days since he had made a fool of himself in front of Annabeth Chase.

He ran a hand through his hair, staring down at the rippling ocean.

Why the hell did he have to do that? Why did he have to kiss her neck? He had seen her expression—he wasn't exactly sure what it was but it was close enough to horror than he had ever seen. For the past two days, he had made an effort to ignore her, but it wasn't easy when she kept sending those small smiles his way, and he couldn't help but notice that her eyes sparkled.

He extended a finger and twirled it in the air. A small water tower shot out from the vast ocean and climbed up to touch his fingertip. It twirled around his finger for a few minutes, before Percy flicked his finger and sent it back to the sea in multiple shots.

"Impressive."

He looked back and watched as Annabeth came to stand beside him. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Something you forgot to mention?"

He rolled his eyes. "I already told you I can control water."

"Not like that," she pointed out. "You can navigate the ship mentally, you told me that. What else haven't you told me?"

"I can breathe underwater," he said. "I can't drown. And I can stay completely dry. If I want to."

Annabeth nodded, awed. "So if, let's say, I was to push you off this ship and into the sea, you won't get wet at all?"

"I would probably stay there for a few hours too," he grinned. "But, Wise Girl, your heart is too pure to push the captain."

She shrugged. "You never know."

He both hated and loved when she gave him that small smirk. How the hell was he supposed to _concentrate_?

"So, what brings you out here?" he asked. "I thought you were sleeping."

Her hand shot up to the amulet. "It's pulsing like crazy and overheating. I don't know what's wrong, but I can't sleep."

"Do you want me to hold it for you?" he asked, concerned.

"No," she shook her head, and stared off into the dark horizon. "I just think we are really close to the Gates."

Percy bit his lip. He had been thinking about that. He cleared his throat. "Are you…okay?"

Annabeth exhaled, giving him a small smile. "I don't know."

He had known all along that the amulet's founder's blood would be essential in closing the Gates. A few drops of blood on the side that was smooth and they would place the amulet back where it belonged. However, he had not taken into account that if anything went wrong, as in the blood was too much or too less, the founder would not survive.

"Three drops," Beckendorf had warned. "No more, no less. Unless you really have a death wish."

Who in Hades wrote the rules? Percy would like to have a few words with him!

Annabeth closed her hand around his, squeezing it softly. "Stop worrying so much, Seaweed Brain." She smiled slightly. "Although, you look cute when you're worried. Your eyebrows get all scrunched up."

He wrinkled his nose. She laughed.

"I can't help it," he confessed, looking down at the water and then back at her. "I mean—what if something happened to you? What if I was too late? What if—" his voice caught.

He couldn't think of that possibility! No!

"I'll be careful. I know how to take care of myself."

He knew. Oh gods, he knew. But still…

Annabeth suddenly hissed, reaching out to take the amulet out of its tucked place under her shirt and away from her skin.

"It's too hot."

But Percy's attention was caught forward. He couldn't believe his eyes. Annabeth looked at what he was staring at, and her breath caught in her throat. The amulet pulsed and hummed louder than before.

"That's it. The entrance." Annabeth whispered.

Percy was barking orders now and soon, the whole ship was wide awake, securing the mast and the ratlines and the ropes all around. Leo took his place on the helm and swallowed as he looked ahead.

"Orders, Captain…?"

Percy clenched his teeth. Jason and Nico stood beside him, eyes wide. They looked at him.

"Percy, you're not thinking…?"

"That's _insane_!"

But his green eyes met her gray ones. And he knew.

"Don't change course. Sail ahead. Everyone, find something to grab on to and hold on _tight_!"

"Aye, aye, captain!" everyone yelled, scrambling to hold on into the ropes, the mast, the stairs, the railings, and the ratlines.

Annabeth joined Percy at the helm. She grabbed the railings tightly, her eyes ahead on the massive, swirling whirlpool that seemed to suck a huge part of the sea. The water swirled quickly and forcefully, but she knew that Percy might be able to save the ship until it hit bottom at least.

She could see Grover hanging for his life on the mast and Tyson grabbing the railing and Mrs. O'Leary in one hand. Blackjack was inside in the lower deck, which Annabeth was thankful for. Everyone else was holding on tight on several things. She could see Travis wrapping an arm around Katie as they both held on to the ropes.

The ship jerked.

"We are entering the whirlpool!" Leo announced, his knuckles white from his death grip at the wheel.

"Allow it to suck us in!" Percy shouted, over the crashing of the waves and the strong wind that seemed to pick up out of nowhere.

Several of the crew screamed as the ship tilted sideways. The current of the whirlpool dragged the ship with it, and the _P.S.P_ swirled around sideways in a circle. Annabeth's hands sweated plentifully as Percy made sure with all his might that the waves won't crush them.

They were surely insane to allow a _whirlpool_ to suck them in!

The ship's spinning picked up and a lot of loose things on the deck flew and clashed against the pattering waves, dissolving into the sea immediately. Annabeth felt her hands slip and she yelped, only to find Percy's arm around her waist, pulling her tight against his side.

She tried with all her might to get her hands back on the railing, but the ship jerked violently, and then, it was falling upside down into the dark abyss.

-.-

When she first came back to her senses, Annabeth realized that she was laying on something hard, yet soft. She groaned in discomfort, and Percy shifted under her, groaning as well.

"Gods, Wise Girl, what do you usually eat?"

She smacked his arm and rolled to her feet.

He laughed lightly, standing up.

The abyss of land was red. It stretched out in all directions in front of the black sea the ship was now rocking on. A small snake of a river curved in the middle of the red land, stretching out through the infinite horizon. The sky was dark and spotted with wisps of red clouds. In the far end of the horizon, angry, red clouds swirled rapidly as lightening cracked.

Annabeth clutched the overheated amulet. "The Gates."

All around the ship, the crew stirred and groaned, sitting up.

"Oh gods!" most of them gasped, staring at the red, swirling clouds.

Grover climbed up the ratlines. "Can't see anything from here!"

Leo whistled loudly as he leaned on the wheel. "Well, congratulations, guys! We have finally made it! Welcome to the unearthly world of monsters!"

"We aren't the first ones to arrive." Piper whispered, her voice thick.

A ship floated thirty feet away, broken and shattered completely. The sails were cut to threads and the mast was broken and bent into an unnatural angle. On the side of the ship, the word _Huntress_ could be seen in golden letters.

Jason gasped. "Thalia!"

Nico cursed in Ancient Greek. Percy clenched his fists.

Silena's eyes sparkled with tears. "I do hope she's okay."

"Jason," Piper whispered softly, placing a hand on his. "She might have survived. She's a tough fighter. She might be out there now."

Jason looked at her. Then, he took a deep breath and nodded.

Percy turned to his crew. "All right, we've finally reached what we have been seeking for a while." He gestured towards the swirling, red clouds. "So, a few of us will go with Annabeth towards the Gates. Meanwhile, the rest of you protect—or repair, if needed—the ship! If we don't come back in five hours, send reinforcement."

"Aye, aye, captain!"

Percy turned to Annabeth, and blinked when he saw her surrounded by Jason, Piper, Leo, and Grover.

"We're coming!" Piper announced, grinning.

"This is totally awesome, because I haven't had much fun for a while." Leo agreed, adjusting his tool belt.

"Till the end, eh?" Grover said, grinning nervously.

Jason simply grinned.

"Don't forget about me!" Nico said, materializing out of nowhere. "Where's the fun if I am not there?"

Mrs. O'Leary barked.

Annabeth smiled. "Shall we?"

-.-

The walk was long. The air was hot. The small river rushed past them, emptying into the black sea they left behind. They had decided to follow the path of the river, since it seemed to be coming from their destination. Annabeth had to take off the amulet before it burned her throat. Now, it dangled from her hand, pulsing wildly and turning crimson.

Every now and then, a monster would fly over them or generate from the red wisps of fog covering the land. And every time, the young demigods would prepare their weapons to defend themselves, but the monsters would sail away, completely ignoring the humans.

Grover bleated nervously. "Why are they ignoring us?"

"Freedom calls! They don't have time for demigods like us!" Leo offered, tinkering with a few metal pieces in his hands.

"Let's not jinx our luck," Nico said, grimacing.

They moved on.

It was a weird feeling, walking on this sand. Annabeth could swear the earth was moving underneath her feet, turning hot and then cold. She couldn't actually feel it, of course, but the sand sometimes smoked and sometimes turned to frost. The amulet dangling from the chain pulsed.

She couldn't help wondering: _Would the earth swallow us whole?_

It seemed likely, but she didn't want to think about it.

After what seemed like eternity, the swirling clouds came closer. The air grew hotter. Sand boiled. In the distance, a medium sized double doors stood. Even from where she stood, Annabeth could tell that nothing was behind those doors. They just stood in the sand, slightly ajar. The river seemed to pour out of the doors.

"This is the Gates?" Leo asked, astonished. "Where are the huge, forty feet tall doors? Where is the Sphinx protector that could swallow a human in one piece? We have been cheated out of the fun!" he threw his hands in the air.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Who told you that?"

"Well, it's _supposed_ to be that way, right? These are the doors that freed every monster we have ever fought. And some of them aren't pleasant, so the Gates have to be a bit more…evil, eh?"

"You're weird," Jason said, simply.

"Perrr-cy!" Grover bleated, his eyes wide. "Look."

It seemed that the Gates weren't entirely unprotected after all—but not with Leo's Sphinx. An army of Cyclopes, _empousai_, and huge black birds stood at the other side of the river. Luke Castellan and Ethan Nakamura stood in front of the army.

Percy uncapped Riptide. "Look who finally decided to show his face."

Luke grinned. "Simply bedding my time, Jackson. And you walked right where I wanted you to." His eyes trailed to Annabeth. "Hello, Miss Chase. Enjoyed your ride in the sea?"

Although the amulet was still uncomfortably warm, Annabeth slipped it around her neck and unsheathed her knife. "It was quite enjoyable, yes."

"Shame. I told you would do much better on land." Luke replied in mock-disappointment.

The sand seemed to rumble under their feet.

"However, you won't be getting out of here alive." He waved his hands, dismissively. "The last crew that was here weren't very lucky."

Jason clenched his teeth. The winds, involuntarily, picked up. "Where is Thalia?"

"Your sister is fine," Luke said, waving a hand towards the sand twenty feet away from him. "She's simply slumbering."

The sand reached to her shoulders, anchoring her into the earth. Her head lolled to the side, her dark hair falling into her forehead. The sand around her seemed to sizzle continuously.

Everyone got out their weapons, anger boiling in their system.

Luke smiled calmly. "Now, now, don't get all angry! It's quite simple, really, if you want to get her out of the earth." He pointed to Annabeth's amulet. "Let me do the sacrifice, let me awaken my patron, and the girl is free."

"She was your best friend, Luke!" Grover said, angry. "How could you treat your best friend this way?"

Something flashed in Luke's eye, but it vanished quickly. "_Was_. She _was_ my best friend. Now, I am somebody else." He took a step forward. "We'll do this the easy way or the hard way."

Percy raised his sword higher. "Tempting options. No third?"

And for the second—or was it third?—time since Annabeth Chase boarded the _Poseidon's Sea Pearl_, all Hades broke loose.

_Empousai_ attacked viciously. Cyclopes threw the largest and nearest boulders and rocks they could find. The black birds cried out and flapped their wings, sending a shower of razor-sharp black feathers hauling down into the sizzling earth. The demigods were clearly outnumbered, but, Annabeth decided, much lighter on their feet.

The thing Leo was tinkering with all the way towards the Gates was actually hundreds of small, metal scorpions that seemed to multiple with each step they took. The scorpions made a beeline towards the Cyclopes, puncturing their heels with their pointy, metal tails and snapping their small claws at their nails. The giants howled in pain and began jumping in their places.

Jason engaged the black birds in the sky while Piper and Nico slashed and hacked at the _empousai_. Grover helped as well. It seemed unlikely to find any nature here, but once he began playing his pipes, thick green vines grew out of the red sand, stretching tall and high towards the night sky, before wrapping themselves around the Cyclopes and _empousai_—restraining them.

Percy stepped in front of Annabeth. "Go. Carry it on. We'll keep them away from you."

"But—" she looked at the unconscious girl buried in the earth.

Percy shook his head, glancing at Jason briefly. "He'll understand. Thalia will understand. Besides, if we succeed, she's free. Go!"

She looked at him and quickly squeezed his hand. "Be careful, Seaweed Brain."

She ran towards the Gates. Ethan Nakamura intercepted her way, raising his sword. Her knife came up reflexively, and his sword clashed with it. Annabeth kept her footing, and used her weight to step closer to him, threw him off-balance, and spun under his arm. She ran.

She could hear Percy's sword clashing on Nakamura's and knew he got her back.

Annabeth stopped in front of the ajar door. A blast of hot air swept her curly hair behind her shoulders. She could see the half circular hollow that was in the middle of each door. She took off her amulet, and kneeled down in front of the doors.

The amulet was searing hot. She placed it on the red sand, knowing that it wasn't that much of a good idea, because Gaea could suck it, but somehow, she couldn't keep it in her hand.

With the tip of her knife, she pricked her finger and squeezed. A drop of blood oozed from the small wound. She made the smooth side of the amulet face her, and slowly, very slowly, dropped three blood drops diagonally on the smooth surface.

Her blood began to sizzle on the surface and unconsciously, Annabeth closed her eyes, and began to chant in a foreign language.

Percy wasn't exactly sure if that was the right procedure, but he trusted Annabeth. He had just disarmed Ethan Nakamura when he noticed Luke creeping behind an unaware Annabeth. In a flash, the river was swirling in a tornado and the water swept Luke away from Annabeth in one quick motion.

Percy directed the water on the son of Hermes again and Luke rolled around, spluttering and coughing the liquid.

"I forgot your abilities, Jackson." Luke panted, standing up. He drew his sword. "But fight me man-to-man without your cheap tricks."

They lunged at each other.

Annabeth was still chanting. She wasn't sure exactly what she was chanting but she could feel her body's temperature going up and sweat trickling down her temple. Her voice died and she opened her eyes. The amulet was shaking as if it was chained towards the earth and couldn't fly to its rightful place. The Gates were shaking as well, the doors vibrating strongly.

She couldn't understand. The amulet was supposed to find its peace. Why wasn't it tying the doors together? What was happening…?

The earth tilted. The sand became hotter. Sweat trickled down her temple towards her neck. Her vision swam.

The last thing she remembered before her head hit the sizzling sand was Percy's voice screaming her name.

-.-

_**Note: **So, what do you think? Your opinion matters the most, as always! _

_Till next time!_

_Take care!_


	8. Chapter 7

_**Note: **Yay! Finally updating! I hope you guys love this chapter, it's longer than the rest! But I'll still hide behind my trusty marble column! :P Anyway, this chapter was done with all of you in my mind! I swear your reviews makes everything better! Thank you a million times for your kind words and encouragments! I love you all!_

**_There was one reviewer that requested Percabeth and Jasper! I hope you like it! :D\_**

**_Disclaimer: _**_I do not own Percy Jackson! :(_

-.-

_**Chapter 7**_

Sunlight penetrated the loosely shut curtains.

She sat up slowly, gray eyes blinking rapidly as they took in her surroundings. She was back in her room in her family's house. She ran her hand over the velvet covers, and slowly made her way out of bed.

Strange: she was still wearing her crew clothes. The tip of her finger was bloody from where she pricked herself. Her hand flew towards her throat. No amulet.

"Am I…dead?"

Probably. She moved out of the room, and opened the door to the room three doors away from her own. Bobby and Matt weren't there. She moved down the spiral stairs and into the dining room. Her father and step-mother weren't there as well.

Her throat tightened. Where was everyone?

Her legs carried her out of the door and into the backyard. And that's where she saw her. The young woman sat on the edge of the rounded fountain, staring at the water sprouting from a fish statue in the middle. Her long dark hair was around her shoulders. She wore a simple white dress and sandals. She turned. Gray eyes penetrated her soul.

Annabeth Chase swallowed. "Mom…?"

Athena smiled, motioning her daughter forward. "You have grown so much, Annabeth. And you've become strong."

Annabeth's throat burned. She wanted to ask a million questions.

_Where were you? Why did you never visit? Am I nothing to you? And I not that important? Why now? Why visit me now? What do you want? Where am I? Where is my family?_

But what comes out: "You spoke to me that day."

Her mother smiled. "Yes. And you have done a very good job protecting it." The amulet rested on Athena's extended palm.

Annabeth hesitated. "I failed."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because it didn't work. I gave my blood, I think I chanted something—I am not sure—but it didn't work. I don't know what went wrong…" her voice trailed off.

Athena watched her daughter stare into the distance. Her left fingers caressed the craved surface of the amulet. "Nothing went wrong, my dear. However, you forgot something."

Annabeth blinked. "What?"

Athena showed her the craved word: _ελπίς._

"Hope…" the young demigod said. "But, I don't—"

"It is the feeling humans get when they feel that something that was desired for a long period of time may happen. It is the feeling that allows most humans to get along with life and stay alive. Hope is a lot of things in your world."

Annabeth nodded, slowly. "Is that what I forgot? I forgot to hope?"

Athena shook her head. "No. It's not that you forgot to hope. It's that you forgot to give hope something."

"What do you mean?" Annabeth was perplexed now. "Beckendorf said that the founder should place three drops of blood on the smooth surface and—well, I guess the chant comes second—and the amulet will find its peace. It'll close the Gates."

Athena nodded. "Of course. Yes. However, you weren't the only bearer of the amulet, were you?"

The young demigod paused. _What? _"Uh, yes, I guess so. I have been the main target a lot, and Percy usually was there to keep it safe for me. So yeah, it wasn't always on me."

Athena made a face. "Uh, yes. Son of Poseidon, isn't he?"

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, yet nodded. "Yes."

Her mother sighed. "I had _hoped_ that it was someone else. But apparently, you trust that son of Poseidon enough that the amulet adapted to his nature. The fact that you _willingly_ gave him the amulet supports that and—"

"Wait! Wait!" Annabeth raised her hands. "I don't get it! What does Percy have to do with any of this? And what's this about the amulet adapting to his nature and what not? What are you talking about?"

"Well, you trust the boy, don't you?"

"Yes."

"You gave him the amulet willingly, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Then, it's simple."

What's simple, exactly? Her mother was confusing her! First she talked about forgetting to give hope something. Then she went and talked about how Annabeth wasn't the only bearer of the amulet now and that she willingly gave Percy the amulet because she trusted him and—

Her eyes widened.

_Hope is a lot of things in your world…_

"Oh…"

Athena grimaced. "I am not going to say that I like it. Hades, I don't like it! But Aphrodite is positive. And, well, the Olympians can't deny that we want Gaea to go back to sleep and the only way to do that is to close the source—the Gates."

Annabeth swallowed. She reached out and took the amulet from her mother's hand. It was still uncomfortably warm. She closed her fist around it.

"I am not dead, am I?" she asked.

Athena shook her head. "No."

Acting on complete impulse, she wrapped her arms around her mother. Athena started, surprised, but she hugged her daughter back. Annabeth tightened her hold for a moment, savoring this memory forever, before she let go.

"Thank you."

The world tilted and darkness enveloped it again.

-.-

"Annabeth! _Annabeth_! Come on, Wise Girl! You can't die on me!"

His voice was a like a warm, distant memory—happy, safe, complete. She struggled with the darkness, clenching her fists with the effort; she closed one of her fists over something warm.

"Annabeth…?"

She groaned in discomfort and tried to sit up. His steady hands helped her to a sitting position, and then they went to rub her back. Annabeth coughed, and looked up at Percy, gray eyes blurry.

"Percy…?"

"Oh, thank the gods! I thought you were dead! You simply went unconscious and hit the ground."

As he mentioned it, she could feel the pain on her temple. She winced as she throbbed the tender flesh with her fingertips. Something huge crashed a few feet away from them. And that's when Annabeth realized that they were still fighting. Her friends were still fighting.

She could see Leo sending fireball after fireball on a group of _empousai_—the small metal scorpions laid unmoving on the ground. Grover was still playing his pipes—the green vines that were surrounding the Cyclopes seemed to be growing thicker, but they easily gave away into the giants' large hands. Ethan Nakamura was in a heated clash with Piper while Nico distracted Luke. The river was sweeping some of the _empousai_ into its depth every now and then—she knew Percy was behind this act. Up in the sky, Jason seemed to have an ally. Blackjack was there, whinnying happily, thrusting his hooves in a bird's chest as Jason hacked them up with his sword.

"Are you okay?" Percy was saying meanwhile, his eyes trained on her face. "What happened? Why didn't the amulet close the doors?"

The circular figure burned against her fisted palm.

Annabeth sat up on her knees and opened her hand, allowing the amulet to pool on the ground. The sand sizzled uncomfortably, and the earth shook violently.

Percy stationed his hands on the sand, anchoring himself. "What's wrong, Annabeth?"

"Gaea doesn't like that we are here," she said, taking out her knife, ignoring the battle cries around her. "We should hurry."

A million questions whirled around his mind but he did not voice them. He trusted her. "So, what should we do?"

Annabeth pricked her finger again and placed three drops of blood diagonally on the now clean surface. She extended her hand to Percy. "Give me your hand."

"What are you doing?"

"It needs both of our bloods," she explained. "Because I willingly allowed you to carry it more than once. My mother seems to think that it adapted to your nature."

"Your mother?! When did you see her? And what does she mean?" Percy inquired, surprised.

"It's a long story." She bit her lip, still waiting for his hand. "I'll tell you later. We don't have much time!"

A Cyclopes broke away from the vines circling them and charged straight where Percy and Annabeth knelt. Grover played his pipes frantically and a few stray vines advanced towards the Cyclopes. However, the river found the giant first and swept him away, drenching Annabeth to the core as Percy stayed dry.

She grumbled. "Stupid powers."

He grinned. "Can't help it."

Blackjack whinnied as the last of the black birds disintegrated completely. Jason lowered himself, breathing heavily and sweat trickled down his temple. He leaned forward, bracing his hands on his knees. From the corner of his eye, he could see an _empousai_ advancing towards him.

Jason was exhausted. He wasn't sure he could defend himself. He forced his knees straight, and brought his sword out to defend, when the monster let out a sharp scream and disintegrated.

Piper huffed. "No challenge at all."

Jason grinned. She looked extra beautiful with freckles of mud smeared on her cheek and her hair a wild mess. "Do I owe you something for saving my life, lady dearest?"

"Think I'll collect later, Sparky." She raised her knife to block out another attack.

Nico gave out a cry as the earth trembled violently again—it wasn't letting up this time. He found himself face first on the ground, groaning. Luke grunted, sitting up as well.

"She's restless…" he whispered, and his eyes caught Annabeth extending her hand towards Percy. His eyes widened.

He was on his feet in an instance, charging towards the two demigods, but Nico intercepted his path. "I'm not letting you go that easily, Castellan."

Their swords clashed.

"Percy…" Annabeth pleaded, her hand still outstretched.

"Why me?"

_Why? _

Annabeth wished she could tell him. However, now wasn't the time. But she understood what her mother was talking about. She knew _why_.

_Hope is a lot of things in your world…_

"Because I trust you." Annabeth answered, truthfully.

Percy gave a slight smile and allowed her to take his hand. The earth seemed to emanate a desperate wail. Ignoring it, Annabeth pricked Percy's finger and dropped three drops of blood diagonally as well, so that both their bloods completed an _X_.

Once again, her eyes closed and unconsciously, she slipped into a foreign chant. This time, though, Percy did not let go of her hand. He could see the sweat trickling down her temple, he could see the strain on her forehead, and he could see the flush of her cheeks. She has never looked more beautiful to him.

Percy squeezed her hand.

Between them, the amulet vibrated. It floated above the sand and went soaring towards the Gates. It paused in front of them, split up in two equal half-circles, and then attached itself in the half-circles on each door.

Luke stood, frozen. "Oh gods…"

The Gates exploded inwards. A strong current began pulling everything inside the swirling, red clouds beyond the Gates. Monsters wailed as they were sucked in, forever lost in the abyss. Percy anchored Riptide into the violently shaking earth, held on tight to the heel, and wrapped an arm around Annabeth, who was still unconsciously chanting.

Blackjack dug his hooves on the ground as Leo held on to the pegasus' neck. Grover held on to his green vines and Nico and Jason anchored their swords as well. Piper held on to Jason's waist as much as she could.

From all around the void, monsters sailed back from the upper world towards the Gates, swirling and disappearing. Some wailed in desperation, some laughed in delight, and some simply allowed the Gates to swallow them.

Luke felt his feet lifting, but Nico, who was the nearest to him, caught his arm. "Hold still, Castellan." He shouted above the roar both the Gates and the earth emanated.

Before long, the Gates closed shut, the amulet sealed itself and the doors together. The word _Hope_ shined once before it went completely still.

Silence.

"Is it over?" Grover asked, getting to his hooves.

Two trails of blood dripped from the amulet and touched the earth. The land shuddered once, before the red sand transformed into an oasis of green. The earth spit out Thalia Grace and she landed right onto Leo and Blackjack. Leo huffed as Blackjack whinnied. The river rushed by, blue and sparkling. The land was covered with grass now and the sky was no longer dark, but soft, baby blue with wisps of white clouds.

Slumped on Percy's side, Annabeth smiled. "It's over." And she allowed sleep to overcome her.

The son of Poseidon kissed her temple. "You did great, Wise Girl." He gathered her into his arms.

"Captain," Grover said, smiling teasingly. "We await orders."

"Let's go home."

"Aye, aye, captain!"

-.-

_The clouds subsided, and the moonlight shined down on the deck. Annabeth could see his sea-green eyes sparkling in determination._

"_Annabeth, I promise I'll take you back to your family safe." He whispered solemnly. "I promise…"_

_Inwardly, she smiled: _I believe you, Percy…

_Annabeth squeezed his hand once and then, turned and walked towards her cabin._

-.-

_He pulled away, but only slightly. His sea-green eyes stayed locked with her gray ones. They seemed to be having a deep conversation. Suddenly, he smiled, and brushed his fingertips against the side of her neck._

"_I'm glad you're okay, Wise Girl," he whispered softly—his breath smelt of the salty wind outside. _

"_Me too," she breathed, allowing her lips to curve a bit._

_Was it just her, or was he really leaning in? Her eyes slid shut without her permission, her lips parted unconsciously, sucking in a deep breath, and their lips seemed to whisper against each other—_

_A thunderous explosion roared around them. _

-.-

_She turned around and looked down at the dark waters, watching the foam around the ship. _

_Percy eyed her intently. "What are you thinking about?"_

"_I have never been fond of the sea," she replied, quietly, looking up at him. "I mean, I loved going to the beach, sure, but I was never eager to sail, or to swim, or anything. I have been so blind…"_

_He was quiet._

_She stared at his eyes—dark sea-green, so depthless, so warm…_

"_I love it now."_

_Percy smiled slowly. "It loves you as well." _

-.-

"_Any ideas?" Piper asked._

_Annabeth stabbed, and the storm spirit seemed to evaporate for a second. "Nothing at the moment."_

"_How about this plan, then?" a deep voice asked and a weight rested on Annabeth's back. "Running back to the ship?"_

_She whirled around and swung her knife. It clashed with a bronze sword, and her gray eyes locked with sparkling, green ones._

"_Percy!"_

"_Hello, Annabeth. This will be the last time you two will be allowed to wander alone." He spun around her, stabbing a storm spirit that was about to attack her unprotected back. _

-.-

_Annabeth's heart jolted as a warm, slightly wet skin met the burn mark on her neck. Blushing a storm, she turned her head towards Percy, who was blushing as well, but kept his eyes locked on hers. Had he actually…_kissed her neck_?_

"_Percy…" she breathed._

_His lips tugged into a small smile, and leaned forward, brushing a kiss against her cheek. Again, she blushed._

"_Good night, Annabeth."_

-.-

"_Why?"_

"_Because I trust you."_

-.-

Memories rushed behind her eyes in flashes. She struggled to open her eyes and when she did, she groaned mentally. She seriously needed to stop fainting and waking up in a totally new environment every now and then. The ceiling was white. Her breath tasted like grapes. She slowly sat up, looking around her.

Chiron smiled at her. "It's good to see you awake, child."

"Chiron?" she blinked, looking around. "Where are we?"

"We're in the infirmary of Camp Half-Blood. How do you feel? Do you need some more nectar?"

"No, thank you. What happened? Last thing I remember, we were standing in front of the Gates."

"You succeeded. The Gates have been closed. Gaea is slumbering—and I think she will be for a long time."

"So, it's over?" she whispered, looking around. She touched her throat. She felt exposed without the amulet around her.

"Yes. It's over."

She looked at him. "Percy? Is he okay?"

Chiron smiled, knowingly. "He's fine. He stayed by your side ever since he brought you here, but I forced him to get some rest. You just missed him."

Annabeth frowned. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Quite a bit." He grinned. "You could get out of bed if you want to."

"Yeah. I would like that." She swung her legs over the bed's edge. Chiron took her into a hug.

"You're always welcome here, Annabeth. You could spend your summers here, if you want…"

Annabeth grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Chiron."

-.-

"Hey, did you hear the good news? Annabeth is finally up and about!" Leo Valdez enthused.

Grover smiled. "That's great! I bet Percy will be ecstatic to hear that!"

"Yay!" Tyson clapped his hands, his big brown eyes shining. "Annabeth awake! Annabeth awake!"

Mrs. O'Leary barked happily.

"I'll go see her." Katie announced, standing up from her place.

Travis' hand shot up and caught her wrist. "Nah. Let her be. I'm sure she's up and about looking for Percy. We wouldn't want to disturb."

Katie sighed, but sat down, knowing he was right.

"Although, we can always spy." Conner suggested, offhanded, but his smirk conveyed otherwise.

"I love the way you think, brother," Travis grinned, high-fiving him.

Grover scowled. "Don't spy on my best friend."

"We won't."

"I don't trust you."

"Hey," Nico materialized out of nowhere. "Have you seen Jason? Thalia wanted to speak to him."

Everyone looked around. Jason was nowhere to be found. And neither was Piper. Travis and Conner Stoll slapped their foreheads.

"Oh gods! They have eloped!"

-.-

Jason led Piper through the woods in Camp Half-Blood. She kept up his pace, relishing the feel of his hand in hers. Piper realized that this was the first time they had actually been alone. Sure, there were a quite a bit of places in the ship you could be away from the crew's prying eyes, but they never gave any sense of privacy.

But here, in the woods with only the distant roar of a stray monster, they really were alone—privacy included.

Her heart accelerated.

"Where are we going, Jace?"

He grinned and gestured to the hill in front of them. Piper laughed, shaking her head. "Zeus' Fist. Typical."

"It's where we met, right?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and Piper felt her feet leaving the earth. Jason settled on top of the hill and adjusted Piper on his lap. The daughter of Aphrodite exhaled softly, leaning her head against his shoulder. His fingertips traced random paths over her arms, smiling as goose bumps erupted on her flesh.

"I do hope you're not planning on tumbling us down the hill this time," she teased, running her hands over his own arms.

"Shut up," he murmured, nuzzling her neck. "It was an accident."

"I think you did it on purpose."

"Oh yeah, because I knew right in that moment that you were here, sitting and contemplating if you should kill Leo or not."

Piper bit her lip and shrugged. "You never know."

Jason rolled his eyes at the sky, smiling. He continued nuzzling her neck, every once in a while delivering a kiss on her flesh.

Piper sighed. "I'm so happy it's all over. So happy we're together."

"Me too. Although, it was a bit embarrassing—with everyone betting on us and all."

She laughed. "It was expected. I was surprised you didn't know about it. I heard the Stolls talking about it once."

Jason hummed, content in tightening his arms around her waist. He grinned mischievously. "You know I still owe you…for helping me back there."

"Oh right. What should I make you do, Mr. Grace?" Piper tapped a finger on her chin.

"I have an idea, if you don't mind."

Piper turned to face him, confused, only to have him capture her lips with his in a gentle, sweet kiss.

She didn't mind at all.

-.-

The cabin was deserted.

She had thought that he would be here, taking a nap or something. Apparently, he wasn't in the mood for sleeping. Annabeth sighed, and left the Poseidon's cabin. She walked around aimlessly, her mind trying to figure out where Seaweed Brain would be.

She caught sight of Clarisse la Rue with a dark-haired demigod, walking hand in hand towards the amphitheater. Annabeth smiled. It seems like Chris Rodriguez was alright, after all. She was happy that he was all right, and happy that Clarisse was happy as well. The older girl seemed to simply radiate life now.

Now, back to the question in hand, where in the world could Percy Jackson be?

She immediately smacked herself mentally. Of course! Where would any son of Poseidon be? She jogged her way towards the beach, her heart beating with anticipation. She really wanted to see him.

She could see the beach now and multiple ships docked on the pier. The sun was setting beyond the infinite blue and there he was. He stood with his back towards her, his hands jammed inside his pockets.

She walked up to him. "Hey."

He started, turning to look at her. He stared at her for a few moments, seemingly not understanding why she was here. And then, his eyes widened. "Annabeth! You're awake!"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Well spotted, Seaweed Brain."

A small blush crept up his cheeks and he cleared his throat. "Are you okay? I mean, you have been unconscious for quite a while."

"Yes, so I have been told. And a stallion told me as well that you haven't been sleeping enough because you have been looking out for me."

His cheeks darkened. "Well—um—it was—"

She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. She closed her eyes. "Thank you."

His arms wrapped around her shoulders instinctively. "For what? You did all the work. So we should thank you."

"You helped." She looked up at him. "Your blood helped."

"Because you trust me." He smiled at her, his green-eyes sparkling.

_Because I love_ _you_, she thought, quietly, but smiled back at him, rolling her eyes affectionately. She already knew he knew that, she just wasn't quite ready to speak the words out loud yet.

"Because I trust you." She confirmed.

He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. And the world melted. Nothing else mattered for Annabeth Chase except for this moment. She was happily drowning in the sea.

-.-

"Are you sure you're okay, sis?" Jason asked, looking at Thalia.

Thalia rolled her eyes, patting his shoulder. "You worry too much, little bro. I'll be fine. Piper, don't hesitate to punch him if he does something he shouldn't have. And then, maybe you could join the Hunters."

Piper laughed as Jason scowled. "Thanks for the offer, Thalia, but I'll pass."

Thalia grinned. "Well, if Piper isn't taking the offer…what about you, Annabeth?"

Percy scowled as well, wrapping a protective arm around Annabeth's shoulders. "She won't be joining any Hunters anytime soon, or ever."

Annabeth grinned at her. She liked Thalia, really, but she knew she would never give up what she had with Percy for an immortal, maiden life. No way in Hades. "Sorry, Thalia, but he is right."

Percy grinned in triumphant.

Thalia sighed in mock-disappointment before turning to her group of fellow female hunters. According to Percy, they found the rest of _The_ _Huntress_ crew scattered all over the oasis on their way back to the ship. He wasn't sure how they missed them while they went towards the Gates the first time, but Leo guessed they might have been buried just like Thalia had been. They have helped them back to the _Poseidon's Sea Pearl_ and went back the way they came from—allowing a whirlpool that appeared out of nowhere to suck them into its depth. Luke had come back with them, and right now, he has locked himself up in one of the many rooms in the Big House. Annabeth could understand that the shock of failing might be a bit too much, however, she couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to his actions—before and after.

With one final goodbye to them all, Thalia and her crew boarded the new made ship—_The Huntress_—and everyone watched them sailing away into the horizon.

Percy turned to Annabeth. "I think we have one last trip to sail, don't we?"

-.-

Annabeth swallowed softly as Percy led her towards the double gates that stood in front of the mansion. He was keeping his promise—taking her back safely to her family. She appreciated it, really, but she couldn't help the sense of dread that was washing over her.

Why was she feeling like this? She was happy, of course, to see Matt and Bobby and her step-mother and her father. And yet…

She tightened her hold on Percy's hand. "They'll just make sure I am safe. I tell them I am going to move to Camp Half-Blood and I'll visit every once in a while. I pack my stuff and we leave, okay?"

"Okay." Percy squeezed her hand back. "Relax, Annabeth. They are your family."

He couldn't understand her anxiety. She should be happy that she'll see her parents again, shouldn't she? But he kept his hold steady on her as they walked to the front door and she rang the bell.

The door opened almost immediately and her father stepped out of it, looking more disheveled than she had ever seen him. His eyes grew wide at the sight of her and his jaw dropped.

"Father…?" she whispered, softly. She cleared her throat. "Father." She repeated, strongly.

"Annabeth…" he breathed, and reached out to tug her into a strong hug. Annabeth hugged him back, closing her eyes for a moment.

Her step-mother came around the corner and her eyes widened. "Annabeth." She took her into a hug as well and started worrying all over her. "Are you okay? What happened to you? Oh God, what are you wearing?"

"Annie!"

Matt and Bobby rushed towards her and latched themselves on her legs. Annabeth bent down and wrapped them tightly in a hug, kissing their foreheads every now and then.

"We missed you!"

"Where have you been?"

"Around," she whispered, letting them go and stood back beside Percy. "Father, Mother, this is Percy Jackson."

"Hello, Mr. Chase. Mrs. Chase…" Percy said, awkwardly.

Fredrick Chase stared at him, his eyes hard. "Are you the one who took my Annabeth from me? Were they your crew?"

Percy felt his neck flush. "Mr. Chase—"

"Father, Percy had nothing to do with this!" Annabeth defended. "I just came here to tell you that I am safe. I am fine—as you can see, I am more than fine! I'll—I'll be going back with Percy to Camp Half-Blood. But I'll come visit every now and then."

Her father's eyes widened. "Annabeth, you can't be serious! We just got you back!"

"I know, Father. I am sorry. But Camp Half-Blood is where I truly belong. I know Mother would have wanted that for me." Annabeth looked into her father's eyes. "Please, Father, you have got to understand…"

"Fredrick…" her step-mother stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let her go. She'll obviously be happy there."

She sent a knowing look from Annabeth to Percy and back again. The daughter of Athena blushed, but sent her step-mother a grateful look.

Her father simply stood there, just staring at his daughter. "If that's what you wish for…"

Annabeth nodded. "It is." She looked back at Percy. "I'll just bring some stuff. Wait here."

"Okay." He watched her run up the stairs.

When he turned to look back at her family, he met her father's hard, dark eyes.

-.-

Annabeth made quick work with her few possessions she wanted to take, her heart beating with excitement. She couldn't believe she was finally getting her wish. She was getting out. She was going away. She wouldn't have to listen to the long lectures about how to be a proper lady and a proper daughter to the governor. She wouldn't be told what to do and what not to do.

She was free of that now.

Annabeth was a bit startled when her father had agreed to allow her departure. But he was bound to see that she really wanted this, didn't he? He was her father, after all, and he would want what made her happy, right?

Shouldering her bag, she ran out of the room and down the stairs. Abruptly, she came into a halt.

Her step-mother looked at her, guiltily. Bobby and Matt stood to the side, wearing similar expressions of confusion. Percy was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Percy?"

Her father stared up at her, his eyes hard and cold. Her heart sank.

"He left."

-.-

_**Note: **Oh God, I am hiding! But I promise the next and final chapter is coming up soon! :D So, keep a weather eye out on the horizon! :D_

_Till next time!_

_Take care!_


	9. Epilogue

_******Note: **Hello! :) Guys, this chapter is the last! And me is crying! ;( I can't believe it's over! And you were all great! I love you all! Special thanks for all who reviewed, favoured, followed, or simply read this story! Lots of love, and hugs, and kisses to you all! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Percy Jackson! :(  
_

_**Enjoy! :D**  
_

**-.-  
**

_**Epilogue**_

"He left."

Annabeth blinked. Her father's words were so foreign to her ears. It couldn't be true. She looked over to her step-mother, but the guilty look only increased.

"Percy…left?"

"Yes."

"Why?" she whispered softly, gray eyes blazing. "What did you say him, Father?"

Frederick Chase looked taken-aback. "I said nothing to him—"

"Of course you did! Percy wouldn't just up and leave! He wouldn't leave me like this. What did you say to him?!"

Her father's eyes went cold and hard. "I just got you back, Annabeth, and there is no way I am letting you go back with those _pirates_—"

"They are _not_ pirates!" Annabeth exclaimed. "They saved my life, Father. They are my friends! You have no idea of what we went through!"

"You are my daughter, Annabeth!" Frederick roared. Bobby and Matt jumped, terrified. "You are the governor's daughter and a proper lady. Proper ladies do not interact with pirates and they do not sail!"

Annabeth simply stared at her father for the longest moment. Her eyes were burning but she wouldn't allow her father to see her tears. _She wouldn't_.

"No." she said, softly. "No. I am the daughter of Athena and the sea and Camp Half-Blood are my home now."

And she ran. Past her father. Past her step-mother. Past her crying brothers. She ran and ran and ran. She never looked back.

-.-

Jason, Piper, and Leo nudged Grover forward. The satyr bleated nervously, glancing at the trio.

"Why does it have to be me? Why can't Piper go? She's good with this stuff!"

The daughter of Aphrodite shook her head. "I won't do. You are his best friend, Grover, he'll listen to you."

Nico di Angelo, on the ratline closest to them, rolled his eyes. "Would you just do it?"

Tyson sniffed. "Brother is not talking to me. Brother might talk to goat boy."

Blackjack whinnied anxiously and Mrs. O'Leary barked in concern.

Grover sighed. "Alright!" and he advanced towards the captain, who was looking down at the hard working demigods on the main deck from his position on the helm.

"Per-ccy!" Grover bleated, cursing himself for being so nervous internally.

Percy Jackson sighed. "I don't want to talk about it, Grover."

"But we are worried about you, man," Grover said, worrying his hand together. "Maybe if you would just talk to me—"

"Grover, please, I—" Percy stopped and ran a hand through his hair. "I just—it's just that it may be true, you know…"

The satyr blinked. "What is true?"

"She deserves a better life than this one." Percy waved his hand in the general direction of the ship's deck and the slowly sinking sun. "The sea was never her first option…"

"_I love it now."_

He closed his eyes. "She deserves better—an environment that she would be comfortable with. And maybe, she'll find someone else…someone who would give her everything she wanted and all…"

Grover blinked, shocked. "Someone other than you?"

"Yes…"

The satyr opened his mouth to answer but another voice cut him off.

"Who in Hades allowed you to make that decision on your own, Percy Jackson?"

Percy stared. Grover bleated happily, while every single demigod on the ship turned to see Annabeth Chase standing on the nearest ratline to the dock and glaring at the ship's captain.

There was a long minute of silence before Percy broke it, grinning. "It's _Captain_ Percy Jackson."

She rolled her eyes and jumped smoothly on the helm's polished surface, adjusting her knife around her waist. "Whatever." She glared at him. "Why did you leave?"

Percy simply stared at her eyes. "Why did you come?"

"Because we had an agreement that we would say goodbye to the family and sail back to Camp."

She raised an eyebrow.

He looked away.

Annabeth sighed. "What did my father say to you?"

"What you thought I decided on my own."

Her eyes blazed. "And you just heard him, decided that it's true, and walked out?"

"Well, he was right about some things—"

"Oh, that right there proves to me that you don't care enough to fight for what we—"

Her words had the desired effect that she wanted. His green-sea eyes flared in anger and the ship bucked forward.

"Oh, boy…" Leo murmured, hanging on to the rail.

"Of course I care!" Percy exclaimed, angered, cutting her off. "More than I should, and you know it! It's _because_ I care that I left. You _do_ deserve something better than this! What do I have to offer you other than sailing the sea and fighting monsters and—"

Her lips on his were so sweet. He choked back the rest of his words, and tangled his hand in her soft blonde hair at the nape of her neck. Her hands were already knotted in his hair.

She was drowning in the sea again.

He was flying without wings.

Unnoticed by the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Athena, the crew exploded.

"You owe me 10 drachmas, man! In public!" Travis yelled at Nico.

The son of Hades rolled his eyes. "It isn't their first kiss, you idiot!"

"It is on the ship and that's what matters!" Leo exclaimed, jumping from demigod to demigod collecting money. "Thank you! Thank you! Oh, Katie, we agreed on 15!"

"Shove off, Valdez! I am broke!" Katie yelled.

Travis and Conner Stoll laughed, counting their winnings. "We could totally buy that new pirate flag now!"

Piper looked at Jason, raising an eyebrow at the small, tinkling sack in his hand. "Good enough?"

He grinned. "Good enough." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, planting a playful kiss on her temple. "Enough for a whole day to ourselves."

Her cheeks colored, but she shoved him away, smiling. "I can't believe you're taking me out using the winnings on when Percy and Annabeth would kiss!"

Jason laughed.

"Oh no, brother!" Tyson wailed, shaking his head and crying. He caught a terrified Grover by the shoulders, shaking him. "_He_ was supposed to kiss _her_, goat boy! Why do humans do everything backwards? And I lost! 20 drachmas lost!"

Grover bleated. "I don't know! Just stop shaking me, please!"

Blackjack flapped his wings. _Way to go, boss!_

Mrs. O'Leary barked happily.

Annabeth pulled away, smiling brightly and her cheeks flushing. "You are such a Seaweed Brain."

Percy laughed. "And you are my Wise Girl." Then his eyes turned serious. "Are you sure?"

Her arms tightened around his neck. "Yes. Now, Captain Percy Jackson, bring me that horizon."

He grinned. "Crew!" he shouted, and they all looked at him, attentively. "You heard the lady. Sail forward!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!"

_**The End!**__** :D**_

_**Note: **Oh God, it's done! It's over! It's...I have no idea! You tell me! As always your opinion matters the most, loves! :) Leave me a review so it can make my day! :D_

_**VERY IMPORTANT: **What do you guys think about a sequel? Should I write one? Or shouldn't I? Leave a small 'yes' or 'no' in your review! :D__  
_

_**Thanks for keeping an eye out on the horizon! :D**  
_

_****Take care! :*_


	10. ATTENTION!

**ATTENTION! ATTENTION!**

To all demigods and mortals on this site, I would just like to announce that is the Prologue and the first chapter of the sequel to _Aye, Aye Captain_ have just been posted! :D Yay! To all who wants to read it, feel free to visit my profile! It's called _Beyond the Horizon_!

Happy Reading! :)

Yours truly,

MoonlitSky321


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